William received his Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Guelph in 1978. William then qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1981 and joined Collins Barrow public accounting in 1989. William recently retired from his position there as the Managing Partner of the Chatham-Kent practice. William is an active investor in privately held manufacturing companies. William is also a Director of a publicly-traded Canadian company. In 2007, the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce awarded William their Business Professional of the Year award.