Bill was born in North Andover, Mass., and raised in the New England area. After high school graduation he moved with his family to Los Angeles where he attended UCLA, majoring in business administration. While attending UCLA he was recruited by the Aetna Insurance Company and began his insurance career in the Aetna home office in Hartford. During his career he served in various offices in underwriting, marketing and management positions, ending his tenure with Aetna as branch manager in San Diego. Bill moved to the brokerage side of the business when he joined Robson, Cavignac & Associates, advancing to vice president, responsible for new account development and overall management of the agency. He joined the Michael Ehrenfeld Company in 1997.

Bill received his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriting (CPCU) designation in 1977 and is a former president of the San Diego chapter of the CPCU society. Over the years he has been active in the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association, Boy Scouts of America, Optimists International and the Executives Association.