William Shaw ('91) is a distinguished ASF alumnus because of his passionate work as an entrepreneur and because of the drive that took him from working behind a check-in desk to owning VivaColombia and becoming CEO of Interjet.
While new to Interjet, William is no newcomer to the airline industry. As he puts it, "the airline business is in my blood." His M.A.'s thesis at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business was about starting a low-cost carrier (LCC) in Colombia, which became a reality with the launch of VivaColombia in 2012. He founded VivaColombia as CCO and later became its CEO. In 2015, he was part of the setup of VivaLatinAmerica Holdings and launched Viva Air, the first LCC in Peru. In February 2018, Shaw joined the Board of Directors of Green Africa Airways and in May 2018, started the Flycana Project, the first LCC in the Caribbean. He now has the opportunity to put everything he knows to practice on a larger scale at Interjet Airlines.
William recently visited our school as our Keynote speaker at Career Day and talked about the importance of entrepreneurship. "Every idea counts and can become business as long as it solves a problem". He also mentioned how team building is a key asset for any successful endeavor. Furthermore, he talked about the importance of education, since "it gives you the base to own a business and it opens doors to connect you with other entrepreneurs that can inspire you to new ventures." He advised students to "not give up and work hard for what you believe works… In the end, all the hard work and late nights will pay off".
William holds a M.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with Certificates in Public and Global Management, as well as a B.A. from CESA of Colombia. He is also a sought-after speaker having presented at events like TEDx Medellín and the International Entrepreneurs Conference. However, if you ask him, his most significant achievement in life is Emma Shaw, his daughter.