Bill Novelli is a nationally recognized leader in social change, public policy, and strategic communications who brings decades of experience advancing innovations in health care delivery, public health, and social impact. As a Senior Advisor to Healthsperien, he provides strategic guidance on initiatives that drive system-wide transformation, elevate patient and caregiver experiences, and promote equity and purpose across the continuum of care.
Bill is Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he taught MBA courses in leadership and social enterprise and founded the Global Social Enterprise Initiative. He is also Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), a national organization dedicated to improving advanced illness and end-of-life care through consumer empowerment, health system innovation, and public policy reform.
From 2001 to 2009, Bill served as CEO of AARP, where he led a 40-million-member organization through a period of significant growth, doubling its budget, expanding internationally, and achieving major policy successes in health care, financial security, and good governance. Prior to that, he was President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Executive Vice President of CARE, and Co-Founder and President of Porter Novelli—one of the world’s largest public relations firms founded on applying marketing principles to social and health issues.
A pioneer in social marketing, Bill has designed and led national and global initiatives focused on chronic disease prevention, aging and longevity, health equity, and behavioral change. His career began at Unilever and later included leading advertising and creative services for the Peace Corps, helping shape public recruitment and civic engagement campaigns.
Bill is the author of Good Business: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World, and co-author of Managing the Older Worker and Fifty Plus: Give Meaning and Purpose to the Best Time of Your Life. He continues to serve on numerous boards and initiatives advancing health, purpose, and well-being.
