Ather Williams III

Senior Executive Vice President

Head of Strategy, Digital, and Innovation

Wells Fargo & Company

Based in New York City

Three decades as a change agent transforming the financial services industry has led Ather Williams III to his role as Senior Executive Vice President and head of Strategy, Digital, Innovation, and Enterprise Payments at Wells Fargo, where he serves on the Operating Committee.

Ather oversees a unique remit that integrates enterprise-wide functions including Strategy, Digital, Innovation, and Payments Products and Platforms, while also leading the fully integrated Payments and Liquidity Management business. This multi-billion-dollar business delivers a comprehensive suite of payment and liquidity solutions for Commercial and Corporate & Investment Banking clients. His combined responsibilities enable him to drive transformation across the enterprise while delivering innovative client solutions.

Ather's career reflects a deep intellectual curiosity and a passion for building from the ground up. His prior roles include consultant, financial analyst for The Walt Disney Company, Silicon Valley executive, and senior leadership positions at some of the largest U.S. banks.

Before joining Wells Fargo, Ather spent nearly a decade at Bank of America, where he led the multi-billion-dollar Global Transaction Services business and later served as President of Business Banking, advising over 30,000 small and mid-sized U.S. companies. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, overseeing business strategies, products, and technology solutions in Treasury & Securities Services.

Recognition:

• 2024 Crain's New York Business Notable Black Leaders
• 2023 Forbes CIO Next List, spotlighting top tech leaders driving innovation
• 2022 Forbes CEO Next List, highlighting future leaders of America's largest companies
• 2022 Crain's New York Business Diverse Leaders in Banking and Finance inaugural list

Leadership and board memberships:

Ather serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Shield of California where he chairs the Finance and Investment committee and is a member of the Audit committee. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the premier organization for Black leaders globally. At Wells Fargo, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Wells Fargo Foundation, is executive sponsor of the Patent Executive Group, and co-executive sponsor of the Black & African American Connection (B&AAC) employee resource network.