SALLY WILLIAMSON & ASSOCIATES
About Us
Leadership Communication Training Built on Thirty Years of Results
Overview
Leadership communication training isn't just what we do. It's everything we do.
We’ve Spent Three Decades Turning Executives into Trusted Communicators
We help executives, leaders, managers, and teams become more influential communicators. Not through a one-size-fits-all playbook, but through training and coaching built around the situations you actually face. We’ve been at it since 1994, and here’s what we’ve learned along the way: communication skills aren’t a nice-to-have. They’re the difference in whether your message lands, your idea gets funded, or your team stays engaged.
We’re a boutique firm based in Atlanta, and we work with clients around the globe. Our size is intentional. It keeps us close to the work and vested in the outcomes. And it brings the full experience and insights of the team into every project.
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Our STORY
How We Got Here
Sally Williamson launched the firm in 1994 out of a simple curiosity: what role does communication actually play in business outcomes? The first office was an attic. The first clients were enterprise sales teams who invested in coaching to build a winning presentation. It worked.
By 2004, a team was in place and SW&A opened its first brick-and-mortar office in Atlanta. A curriculum took shape. Open-enrollment programs launched alongside tailored corporate engagements. Along the way, Sally wrote four books: The Hidden Factor: Executive Presence, Leading Executive Conversations, Storylines & Storytelling, and Disrupted!, co-authored with Hurst Williamson, who joined the team in 2016.
When the world shifted in 2020, we built SWAU, a self-guided coaching platform with more than 200 learning modules. Today, our team includes seasoned coaches, instructional designers, and specialists who bring real corporate backgrounds to every program, and we work with clients across EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.
Our most recent step brings us full circle with the fifth book, Your Authentic Presence. It’s a fresh view on how to balance authenticity and responsibility as a communicator. And it takes every communicator beyond techniques to a deeper exploration of impressions and choices that lead to the best habits and intentions of a compelling communicator.
Our Approach
What Makes Our Leadership Communication Training Different
We Teach Leaders to Say the Right Thing, the Right Way, at the Right Time
We believe effective communication comes down to two fundamentals: content, what you say, and style, how you say it. Then we add a third dimension that makes the difference: situation.
Content has to be built around what your listener needs to hear, not what you want to say. Style is presence, the ability to come across as confident, credible, and committed. And situation is where it all gets tested, whether that’s a 1:1 conversation with your leader or a keynote in front of 500 people. We help you shift from being competent with your skills to being consistent with your results.
Our People
Meet the team
Sally Williamson
Founder & CEO
Sally is a leading resource for improving the impact of spoken communications. She has developed key messages and coached leaders and their teams to deliver them effectively for more than thirty years. Sally specializes in executive coaching and developing custom programs for groups across company verticals. Her approach begins with listener expectations and helps a communicator learn to influence people with a compelling storyline and personal style that drives engagement in any situation.
Francie Schulwolf
Executive Coach/Business Development Director
Francie’s focus is on developing strong, confident communicators. With close to twenty-five years of global, corporate experience in advertising, marketing and communications, she is intimately familiar with the demands executives face. This understanding, along with her honest and warm style, create a safe and comfortable environment for individuals to learn and grow.
Paul Zuwarski
Executive Coach
Paul joins SW&A with over 30 years of experience as a thought leader and seasoned expert, most recently serving as SVP External Affairs at Equifax. Coaching has been a steadfast passion in all his leadership roles, having coached many managers on personal impressions and message clarity. His passion becomes a reality as he joins our team and combines the SW&A Methodology with his own career insights.
Kimberly Grey Fess
Lead Instructor/Business Development Director - Florida
Kimberly partners with our clients as both a business development resource and a lead instructor. She brings a holistic approach to understanding a group’s development needs and working with our team to customize a program that addresses those needs. In addition, Kimberly has more than twenty years of experience in communications, management, business development, operations and project management.
Lia Panayotidis
Lead Instructor
Lia is one of our most tenured style instructors with more than 11 years with SW&A. She uncovers impressions and identifies intentional choices that can strengthen your personal brand and impact. She creates an insightful learning environment and can make the most vulnerable discussions a little easier. Lia brings to every program the joy of connection and the potential for personal growth.
Hurst Williamson
Business Development Director and Sales Manager
Hurst Williamson is our utility player who can uncover client needs, lead a workshop or weave an incredible tale. He owns every room and brings genuine engagement to communication. He is the heart of our career narrative offerings and embraces the opportunity to uncover your stories. Hurst also manages the firm’s business development and marketing strategies.
Mark Williamson
Chief Financial Officer
Mark spent four decades in the investment industry on both the sell side and the buy side. As a former senior executive in a public company, he has deep knowledge of the investor audience and was intimately involved in acquisitions for twenty years. Since retiring, he rounds out our team with insights on the investor’s perspective and expectations.
Lakesha Edwards, PH.D
Senior Director of Learning Platforms
LaKesha creates innovative learning experiences for corporate clients and workshop participants. As an experienced instructional designer, LaKesha has worked in higher education, non-profit, government and hospitality to build engaging digital content. With a doctorate in Organizational Psychology, we leverage her energy and her expertise to build tailored solutions for every SW&A program.
Sammie Penney
Senior Manager of Digital Marketing
Sammie leads our digital marketing efforts. Her perspective and insights on client mindset help us track and engage past, present and future participants with new ideas and timely topics. We leverage her deep knowledge of the digital space, from social media to graphic design, to keep the SW&A brand visible and valued across our client community.
Alexandra Williamson
Senior Manager of Business Development
Alex is our ultimate first impression. With her experience in advertising, marketing and sales, she has a proven track record of managing large scale accounts and projects. On our team, she takes a genuine interest in every opportunity with every client. And it’s her focus on understanding your need that helps us begin our work to tailor a great SW&A solution.
James Myles
Business Development Manager
James joins the team with extensive experience managing diverse projects across multiple industries. He brings a consistent focus on delivering excellent service with efficiency and care. He combines strong business results with a personal, relationship-driven approach to sales. James has built lasting client partnerships by blending professionalism with a genuine, approachable style that helps organizations grow and succeed.
Margie Rogers
Director of Channel Marketing
Margie helps bring new conversations to SW&A. She leads our channel marketing strategy, building awareness through strategic partnerships, SEO, digital marketing, content strategy, and brand initiatives that connect us with new leaders and organizations. Her focus on expanding our reach and creating meaningful first impressions helps more people discover who we are, what we do, and how stronger communication can make a lasting impact.