Position: Site Director
Employer: Adesis Inc.
Age: 39
As a site director for Adesis Inc., Doug Williams is used to finding innovative solutions to complex problems. Early in his career as a chemist, Williams solved a number of synthetic chemistry challenges which led to the preparation of compounds, some of which have gone on to become development candidates in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and materials science industries.
When Williams was promoted to a group leader, he led a group of chemists through challenging projects. Several years later, he was promoted to site director and was tasked with establishing a second Adesis site at the Delaware Innovation Space. Williams oversaw the transition of about 15 Adesis employees to the new site, which he got fully operational in six weeks.
As an essential business, Adesis has continued to operate through the shutdown to serve clients in biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields. After the company announced that DuPont’s Experimental Station would shift to essential personnel only, Williams had to plan in two days for about 80% of Adesis’s Wilmington chemistry staff to transition to the company’s New Castle site.
Williams is a founding member of the Adesis philanthropic committee and co-founded an Adesis purification team. He has also co-authored five patents, as well as three that are pending, and has been featured in nine publications.
Williams and his family are active members of their church and donate to various charities. His children hosted a bracelet sale to raise money for a local food bank.
Williams enjoys teaching his daughters science lessons and spending time outdoors with his family, especially on a boat — whether it’s sailing, fishing or water skiing. One day he hopes to build his own small boat.
