Billie Ida Williamson ’74

 

Billie Ida Williamson has shown exemplary leadership in her profession and has inspired countless women in business. She was SMU’s student body treasurer and Homecoming queen before earning a B.B.A. in accounting, with highest honors, in 1974. One of the first women partners in Ernst &Young LLP, she significantly impacted the advancement of women and minorities in the public accounting profession. Since retiring as a Senior Client Serving Partner in 2011, she serves on the boards of Pentair plc, Energy Future Holdings and Janus Capital Group. Her honors include Ernst &Young’s Rosemarie Meschi Award for Advancement of Women and the Dallas Business Journal 2014 Outstanding Director Award. She also serves on boards of the Dallas Symphony Foundation and Dallas Holocaust Museum and is a member of the Committee of 200, which fosters women’s leadership in business, and the International Women’s Forum. She is a Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors.