Dr. William J. Ward, better known by his handle, @DR4WARD (Sounds like Doctor Forward), is an "online education whisperer," strategy consultant and pioneer in developing innovative new business programs and learning experiences with higher education and industry partnerships. He has worked with Hootsuite, LinkedIn, Google and the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He also helps startups and organizations from a wide range of industries integrate new media and digital technologies into their business and communication strategies.

Dr. Ward was the Dean of the inaugural Social Media Creative Academy at the 2016 Cannes Lions. During his role as Hootsuite's Director of Education Strategy, Dr. Ward provided expert guidance during Hootsuite's rapid expansion into the enterprise educational space and he now serves on the Hootsuite Board. Dr. Ward has taught at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and Michigan State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies from the College of Communication Arts & Sciences.

He is ranked by Social Media Marketing Magazine as one of the Top Marketing Professors on Twitter, quoted in prestigious venues like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Inc., Forbes, Fortune, CNN, and The Huffington Post and has been called up to speak at AMA, TEDX and SXSW Interactive Conferences.