As McMaster University's vice president of University Advancement, Mary Williams leads one of Canada's strongest advancement teams with a stellar reputation for delivering strong results to the University in the development of its reputation and resources. At Mac, University

Advancement broadly includes the University’s communications and marketing activities, interface with government, alumni relations and fundraising. Williams has played a number of roles at

McMaster since she joined the team over 25 years ago.  She was one of the leaders of The Campaign for McMaster University, which recently raised $474 million for the University, surpassing its goal of $400 million.

In 2015, Mary was recognized by her professional organization, the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE), with their Outstanding Achievement Award which recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of educational advancement over a number of years.  

As an active volunteer, Mary is a past-­‐president of CCAE, and has been actively involved in many boards in the broader Hamilton area, including: Ronald McDonald House, the Hamilton District Health Council, the YWCA, YMCA of Hamilton, Burlington & Brantford and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Conference Board of Canada’s National Council of Foundation Executives. 

Mary, a McMaster graduate herself, who grew up in Hamilton, is married to Rob Forbes (also a McMaster graduate) and together they are proud parents of Liam Forbes (hopefully soon to be a Mac grad!).