William “Bill” Woods

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“A patient leader, driven to create innovative solutions to challenges in the world today.”

Hometown: East Sandwich, Massachusetts

Fun Fact About Yourself: I enjoy offshore fishing for bluefin tuna off the coast of Cape Cod, promoting conservation efforts and sustainability in natural resources.

Undergraduate School and Major: Fairfield University – Dolan School of Business, BS in Finance and International Business (double major) with a minor in Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: STAG Industrial, Inc., Associate, Acquisitions

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Kenan-Flagler’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The major draw for me to UNC Kenan-Flagler was the strength of the real estate program. The Wood Center for Real Estate Studies faculty and resources, funded by alumni and friends of the program, are a standout among other MBA programs. When choosing a full-time MBA, I reached out to many professionals in the real estate industry for feedback about the UNC program. They were impressed by the depth of the curriculum, real fund capital raising/investing opportunities, and mentoring. Additionally, they also spoke highly of the many UNC Kenan-Flagler alumni in the industry who they had worked with over their careers. The student-managed Real Estate Private Equity Fund is also unique to UNC, providing students with hands-on experience. Other programs I toured only simulated this experience, missing key details of the process and not providing students with a wholistic experience in fund operations. As a professional in the industry with seven years of experience, this solidified that an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler would best fit my ambitions to continue working in the real estate industry after graduating.

What are some advantages you’ve seen in earning your MBA in Chapel Hill? UNC Kenan-Flagler stands out as the MBA program with the resources best suited for my personal and professional growth. With the ability to combine my interests in real estate, entrepreneurship, and energy in a customizable curriculum, I believe UNC Kenan-Flagler will offer me the best opportunities for success. Unlike other MBA programs UNC puts an emphasis on community, encouraging students to engage in community impact both locally in the Triangle and across the world. Supported by a strong alumni network, this community involvement shapes well-rounded leaders with business knowledge.

What has been your first impression of the Kenan-Flagler MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Kenan-Flagler story so far. One impression that stands out was a random act of kindness I experienced when interviewing for the program. Nervous for my interview, I was walking back to the staging room when I encountered a student in the hallway. Introducing himself, he proceeded to talk with me about the MBA and reassured me that the interview will go great. (Apparently, I must have looked nervous!) This random act of kindness stayed with me through the application process and in my opinion speaks to the excellent culture the program has cultivated. This was one of my deciding factors to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Kenan-Flagler? As a Vetter Dean’s Fellow, I am excited for the opportunity to make an impact in the community. Part of the reason for getting my MBA was to shift away from low touch investing and focus on investing that makes a tangible difference. One way I hope to achieve this during my MBA experience is to work with both UNC and local housing affiliates to better develop and understand community impact through real estate.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Working as an analyst at a Boston-based public REIT, I encountered many limiting inefficiencies in our acquisitions systems while evaluating and acquiring transactions worth $446M. To increase productivity, I embarked on a multi-year department transition, initiating the complete redesign of our template models, acquisitions systems, and procedures. Building a multi-department team with diverse knowledge and experience, we were able to discover solutions to problems deemed unsolvable. This resulted in a reduction of company-wide stress, increased transaction volume and improved accuracy of internal data cloud systems.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? Become a community leader, building resilient community ecosystems by investing in both commercial and residential real estate with a personal work-life balance. Post-graduation, I plan to accomplish this by founding a company that cultivates relationships with communities and regulators, providing housing for residents to live near their employment and collaborating on community projects to improve well-being. Additionally, I have an interest in the energy sector and the many crossovers it has with the real estate industry.

DON’T MISS: MEET UNC KENAN-FLAGLER’S MBA CLASS OF 2026