Shana Williams is Director of Operations and Strategy at the International Center for Research on Women. She joined ICRW in 2006 and now has over 15 years of experience in restricted fundraising, operations, financial and program management.  She is an excellent problem-solver and applies a systems-thinking approach to identify, analyze, and address opportunities to drive organizational development and strategic growth. In this role, Shana oversees and incorporates functional learnings into ICRW’s day-to-day practices, processes and structures, and ensures their alignment with ICRW’s mission and values.  She collaborates with the executive team to define and implement strategic initiatives and leads institution-wide operational efforts. Shana also manages our facilities, operational resources, and vendor management in the Washington, DC office.

In her prior role, Shana was the Senior Business Development Manager, where she designed and led the proposal development lifecycle and created detailed data analytics and strategies for business development in Washington, DC and ICRW’s regional offices in Africa and Asia. She assessed internal systems with a focus on process improvement, cross-departmental communication and collaboration, tools, and training development, as well as systems efficiencies. She is well-versed in the mechanics of raising restricted funding from foundations, corporations, US Government agencies, foreign governments, bilateral, and multilateral organizations.

Shana is also the vice chair, and a primary member, of ICRW’s Institutional Review Board, where she reviews protocols and data collection tools for research studies involving human subjects in accordance with the ethical principles of the Belmont Report, the Common Rule, state and local laws, and ICRW policies.

Prior to ICRW, she was a Municipal Development Facilitator for the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador and a Credit Manager for Wells Fargo in Indianapolis, Indiana and Fort Worth, Texas.