Bio

William J. Rothwell, PhD, DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPTD Fellow, RODC, FLMI is a Distinguished Professor in the Workforce Education and Development program in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems, College of Education, on the University Park campus of Penn State University.

Dr. Rothwell worked full-time in human resources, training, and Organization Development in both government (the Illinois Office of the Auditor General) and in a wholly-owned subsidiary (Franklin Life Insurance) of a multinational company (American Brands, #48 on the Fortune 500 list) from 1979 until he joined Penn State University in 1993 as a professor to head up a graduate program in Human Resource Development/Organization Development. He has been a consultant for over 50 multinational companies. Among his many clients are Motorola University China, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Siemens, Sony, GM Shanghai, Phillips, Erickson, HP, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the American Red Cross, Care, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Service, and many more.

He has been President of two consulting firms: (1) Rothwell & Associates, Inc. and (2) Rothwell & Associates, LLC. He is also, with his wife, a business owner of The Rothwell Partnership, which controls 7 homes for rent. From 1997 until 2022, he and his wife also owned and operated a personal care home for the elderly (Greenhills Village and Assisted Living Residence) licensed by the State of Pennsylvania for 54 residents. The business, sold in 2022, employed 27 full-time and part-time employees. In 2022 he and his wife purchased an 18-unit motel in State College, PA. Since business leaders who hear that Dr. Rothwell is a professor often jump to the conclusion, he is all “ivory tower theory” and has no practical work experience, it is worth emphasizing he has extensive human resource experience in government, multinational business, consulting for many industries and economic sectors, and setting up and running several small and family businesses.