Willy MacMullen is a Senior Consultant in our Search & Consulting Group.

Willy’s distinguished experience includes over four decades of teaching, coaching and leadership in boarding schools. From 2001 to 2023, he served as the Head of School at The Taft School in Connecticut, where he made significant contributions to the school, including growing its endowment and financial aid initiatives, diversifying its student body and faculty, and expanding its physical plant.  Prior to Headship, he began his career as an upper school English teacher at Taft, where he introduced innovative electives such as Wilderness Literature, inspired by his experience teaching in an outdoor wilderness program. Coming from a family deeply rooted in academia—his parents were Yale professors, and many members of his extended family pursued teaching—Willy’s passion for education runs deep.

Throughout his tenure at Taft, Willy held numerous leadership roles, including Class Dean, Co-director of the Senior Seminar, College Counselor, Director of Teaching Fellowships, Dean of Faculty, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Coordinator of the NEASC Accreditation Self-Study. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Edwin C. Douglas Chair and the Abramowitz Award for Teaching Excellence. Renowned for his exceptional leadership, Willy is known for his unwavering integrity and his ability to build deep, lasting connections with students and families.

Willy’s career has been marked by deep engagement in school improvement and accreditation. He served on and then chaired the NEASC Commission on Independent Schools (CIS), leading the accreditation of hundreds of schools. Additionally, he has served on or chaired decennial accreditations at Lawrence Academy, Westminster School, Pomfret School, Holderness School, Groton School, Middlesex School and School Year Abroad.

A Taft graduate himself; Willy also holds a degree from Yale University and a master’s degree from Middlebury College. Willy and his wife Pam, who also taught English for many years at Taft, live on Cape Cod. In his free time, he enjoys offshore fishing, hiking, gardening, birding, and woodworking.