Walter Walker Biography and Net Worth

Mr. Walker is an independent director for Harbor Custom Development, Inc. Mr. Walker served as a Vice President in Goldman, Sachs & Co.’s Private Client Services group from 1987 through 1994. In April 1994, Mr. Walker formed Walker Capital, Inc., a San Francisco based money management firm. In September 1994, Mr. Walker became President and General Manager of the Seattle SuperSonics and the Seattle Storm, and in addition to being an owner, served as Chief Executive Officer and President of the teams until their sale in 2006. In his seven years as General Manager, the Sonics had the third best winning percentage (65.1%) in the NBA and won the Western Conference Championship in 1996. During his entire tenure as an executive, the Sonics had the fifth best winning percentage in the NBA and won four of the six division titles in Seattle Sonics’ 41 year history. The Seattle Storm won the WNBA Championship in 2004. In 1998, he was voted runner-up by his peers, for NBA Executive of the Year. In late 2007, he formed Hana Road Capital LLC, where he remains as its owner and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Walker graduated from the University of Virginia in 1976 as an Academic All-American with a BA in psychology. He was the first ever Virginia player to win the Everett Case Award, for being MVP of the ACC tournament. His number 41 has been retired by the University of Virginia. In 2001 he was named as one of six recipients of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Scholar-Athlete Award. He received his Masters of Business Administration from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1987. He was conferred as a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1992. He served on the Board of Visitors, at the University of Virginia from 1997 – 2001. In addition to his investment and management experience, Mr. Walker was drafted in the first round (5th overall) by the Portland Trailblazers in 1976 and was a member of the Portland Trailblazers 1977 Championship team. After the 1977 season, Mr. Walker was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics, where he was a member of the SuperSonics 1979 Championship team. In 1982, Mr. Walker was traded to the Houston Rockets. He retired from professional basketball in 1985. He received the George W. Kirchner Award for contributions to Lancaster County sports in 1986. In 1993, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania State Sports Hall of Fame and was named the greatest player of the 20th Century from Lancaster County, Pa. He was a member of the USA’s gold winning World University Games team in 1973, played in Russia. Since 2005, Mr. Walker has been a member of the Advisory Council of Stone Arch Capital, a Minneapolis based private equity firm. Mr. Walker also serves as an independent trustee at Smead Capital Management, a Seattle based mutual fund. In 2018, he joined the Governing Council of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, at The University of Virginia.