Continental Who's Who

William L. Sharfman, PhD

William L. Sharfman, PhD, is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Achiever as a consulting strategist, author, writer, interviewer, and advisor, and the proprietor of his own venture, Sharfman & Co.

Established in 1985, Sharfman and Co has provided a wide array of services to clients globally. As a consulting strategist, Dr. Sharfman has provided clients with differentiation and competitive advantages in organization, planning, marketing, communication, quality, and innovation, as well as coaching.

Leading an impressive career for more than four decades, Dr. Sharfman has held diverse leadership positions. Before he opened Sharfman and Co, he served as Senior Vice President for J. Walter Thompson USA from 1976 to 1985. Other positions include lecturer and professor at Columbia College, Columbia University, and Idaho State University. He was also Director of Judging for the Automotive News PACE Awards for Innovation. He has also been a Contributing Writer for Automobile magazine from 1985 to 2001.

An academic by background, Dr. Sharfman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan’s Honors College, and went on to earn Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Dr. Sharfman has maintained affiliations with various organizations, such as the Authors Guild and the National Writers Union. He has shared his breadth of expertise in numerous magazines, including the New York Sun and Praxis Post. His topics of choice include science, literary criticism, art history, and the automotive industry. In 1999, he was honored with a recognition of Excellence in International Automotive Media, and is today on the Board of IMPA, the International Motor Press Association.

A man of diverse roles and activities, Dr. Sharfman has also been a Deming graduate in Quality, Productivity, and Competitive Position, as well as a motorcycle racer and jazz musician. He is active in various political, environmental, and conservation commitments.

In this recognition, Dr. Sharfman gratefully cited the critical importance of having had such influential mentors as Max Roach, W. Edwards Deming, David E. Davis, Jr., David H. Stewart, and Steven Marcus.

For more information, please visit:

library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/jwtsharfmanbill.