Bill Hartnett was most recently Head of Innovation at ACORD – a Global standards and R&D organization serving the insurance industry. He was responsible for identifying trends and technologies with the potential to disrupt the insurance industry, and develop strategies to help ACORD and its members embrace the future.
For nearly 2 decades, Bill was Microsoft’s top executive in the financial services industry, affectionately known as Microsoft’s “Godfather of Financial Services”. Bill joined Microsoft in 1994 as their first Worldwide Insurance Industry Manager. In 1997 he assumed leadership of Microsoft’s financial services group. During his time at Microsoft, Bill drove expansion of the company’s efforts in this important global industry, establishing Microsoft as an innovator, thought leader and change agent. Under Bill’s leadership, Microsoft’s financial services organization grew from a startup to a global business delivering significant revenue from Microsoft’s most strategic and demanding customers.
Bill was cited as the number 4 most influential person in Institutional Investor’s eFinance Top 40 for 2003 and 2004, and one of the “People to Watch In the Coming Year” for 1998 by Best’s Review – a leading insurance industry publication. He has also contributed to FOX Business on financial markets and the impact of technology.
A former insurance executive, Bill has served on the boards of directors of ACORD and the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. He has lobbied on state and federal levels on insurance and small business issues and was a candidate for state senate in RI. With a unique combination of expertise in business, politics, and technology, Bill articulates a compelling vision of the future of business. A leading industry activist, he is a nationally recognized author and speaker on technology, change and their impact on business. A graduate of Tufts University, Bill is an avid sailor and Bronze Medalist in Yachting at the 1979 Pan American Games.