Matthew Williams is a nonresident senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He is an independent strategy consultant and a member of the State of Maryland Veterans Home Commission.

In government, Williams was chief of staff and senior adviser to the 26th secretary of the Air Force. In this role, Williams advised the secretary and senior civilian and military leadership on all matters affecting the US Air Force and US Space Force. Williams oversaw the operations of Department of the Air Force Headquarters, including wide-ranging efforts to modernize the department for strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China.

From January 2021 to October 2022, Williams served as deputy assistant secretary of defense, Senate affairs and acting principal deputy assistant secretary, legislative affairs. Williams advised the secretary and deputy secretary of defense on relations with Congress and facilitated the enactment of major initiatives and the confirmation of more than forty of the Department of Defense’s civilian leadership.

Prior to the Pentagon, Williams served as national security adviser to then Senator Kamala D. Harris and Senator Bill Nelson. Williams began his career as a signals intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency, where he served as the Middle East and Africa desk officer in the twenty-four-hour National Security Operations Center.

Williams is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.

Williams is a graduate of the University of Florida and received his master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He lives in Bethesda with his husband, Joseph, who is a physician serving on active duty in the US Army.