William Behrendt


Adjunct Professor

PhD, Washington University

Management and Organizations

  • Bio

    William (Bill) Behrendt has over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources and Organizational Development in retail, healthcare and academic organizations. Bill most recently served for 13 years, until his retirement, as Vice President for Human Resources at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where he was responsible for all “people” issues at the Medical School, and its University Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to coming to Dallas in 2003, Dr. Behrendt served as Vice President for Human Resources for CareGroup Health System and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston Massachusetts. He previously held the role of Senior Vice President for Human Resources at the BJC Healthcare System in St. Louis, Missouri. He also served as President of Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in St. Louis. In these positions, Dr. Behrendt gained extensive knowledge and experience in Recruitment, Organization Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, Change Management, Strategic Planning and Executive Coaching. He has served as both an internal and external coach for executives, physicians, high potentials, new hires and other individuals, logging over 1500 hours and accredited at the Professional Certified Coach level of the International Coach Federation.

    Dr. Behrendt began his career in retailing with the May Department Stores Company headquartered in St. Louis, where he held positions in consumer research, strategic planning, recruitment, executive development and human resources. He earned a B.S. in Psychology from Tulane University in New Orleans, and his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, and completed a psychology internship at UT Southwestern in Dallas. He is also a graduate of the Certificate in Executive Coaching Program at University of Texas at Dallas.

    Dr. Behrendt is currently a faculty member in the Cox School at Southern Methodist University as well as the Jindal School of Management at University of Texas at Dallas, where he teaches management and coaching classes to MBA students. He has also held faculty positions at Simmons College in Boston, UT Southwestern, and has served as a board member for the Barnes and Jewish Colleges of Nursing, the Picker Institute, My Possibilities, and HealthPartners of the Midwest. He was named the 2015 “Talent Development Champion of the Year” by Skillsoft, and is a 2011 recipient of the “Top 10 Breakaway HR Leadership” Award from the Global HR Summit, the 2014 Strategic HR Leadership Award from Strategic HR Excellence, and winner of the 2012 “PRISM” award for Excellence in Coaching from the International Coach Federation – N. Texas Chapter.

  • Teaching

    MNO 6214