About

William Kotas believes that by listening, questioning, giving honest feedback, advising, and connecting candidates to others, he can lead them on a path of introspection and self-discovery, maximizing their potential for success and fulfillment. Coming from a working-class family in a declining steel mill town in Ohio, William received little career counseling. Nearing the end of his Peace Corps service in Ecuador, he initially considered law school, influenced by television portrayals. However, a series of informational interviews with business executives in Guayaquil ignited his passion for business, leading him to pursue an MBA at Kellogg.

Post-Evanston, William’s career zigzagged geographically and functionally, spanning Europe and Latin America, and roles as a marketing executive and consulting project manager in various service industries. Although he enjoyed the ride, he rarely paused to manage his career. However, he did mentor several young direct reports who went on to highly successful careers. In 2004, William was hired to begin a Latin American practice at the world’s pioneer in global employee opinion surveys. Moderating focus groups, designing and conducting surveys, and running workshops impressed upon him the benefits of feedback. His eight years in the employee survey space helped him analyze his own key drivers of engagement. He discovered, through online tests, that his strengths were in connecting people and advising others - explaining his success as a serial alumni club president for Kellogg and Northwestern.

William became Kellogg’s first-ever employee outside the US when he was hired as a director to launch Northwestern’s executive education programs in Brazil. In 2015, William coached hundreds of potential applicants to the Kellogg Executive MBA program in hour-long one-on-one chats and found it incredibly rewarding. Previously, Kotas had served as a volunteer alumni interviewer for Kellogg’s full time MBA program since 1993, screening candidates from Peru, Florida, and Brazil, work he now continues to complete as an alumni leader in Spain.

After working for Kellogg, he decided to coach MBA applicants as a career, joining two well-known firms before deciding to work independently. William loves coaching MBA applicants because he believes in guiding them through an introspective journey that leads to self-discovery and fulfillment. He knows firsthand the value of coaching and is committed to helping others achieve their potential.