William Heidlage

Will helps external stakeholders understand how BGA can address their toughest business and policy challenges in the Indo-Pacific. He has extensive experience as a commercial advisor and is an expert on China’s domestic politics, global technology policy and corporate communications. 

In his spare time, Will serves as the Global Executive Director of Young China Watchers, a nonprofit organization for young professionals with over 6,000 members in 10 chapters worldwide, including the chapter he founded in Washington, D.C. 

Before his current position at BGA, Will was the director of strategic partnerships at Protocol, a startup technology media company and subsidiary of Politico Media Group. In this role, he led advocacy and advertising campaigns for major tech firms and developed a B2B intelligence platform tracking China’s technology regulatory regime. 

Will previously worked as a research and client services director at BGA for more than five years, providing support and strategic planning to media, pharmaceutical and tech companies in the Indo-Pacific and offering analysis to BGA’s clients in Northeast Asia. 

Will holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University SAIS, a graduate certificate from the Hopkins-Nanjing University Center and a B.A. from Pomona College.