On a special episode of the Walker Webcast, we showcased highlights from noteworthy episodes featuring remarkable women in leadership. We heard from: Christina Wallace, Senior lecturer at Harvard Business School Frances Frei, Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School Ginni Rometty, Former Chairman and President & CEO of IBM, Co-Chair at OneTen Gloria Steinem, Writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer Julia Boorstin, CNBC’s Senior Media &a...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Willy was joined by General David Petraeus, retired four-star U.S. Army general who also served as the director of the CIA, for part two of their captivating conversation. One episode wasn’t enough to cover David’s invaluable insights and experiences. He sat down with Willy once again to cover even more hard-hitting topics, from global power dynamics and geopolitical tensions to performing under pressure and how lessons from the military translate to the business world. Learn more about your ad ...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Willy was joined by Marc Ganzi, Chief Executive Officer at DigitalBridge, a leading global alternative asset management firm. With over 25 years in the digital infrastructure sector, Marc has his finger on the pulse of technological advancement and innovative AI. He and Willy discussed his introduction to the path of technology infrastructure, how he built a career at the intersection of real estate and telecommunications, the ins and outs of small cell technology, public vs. private cloud, enha...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Willy was joined by Fernando De Leon, Founder and CEO of Leon Capital Group, a family holding company that built and operates a portfolio exceeding $10 billion in assets across multiple businesses in healthcare, financial services, and real estate. He and Willy discussed his humble upbringing as the youngest of six and the drive that was instilled in him at a young age, his educational and career trajectory – including leaving Goldman Sachs to give into the entrepreneurial bug, his experience bu...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Willy was once again joined by Dr. Peter Linneman for “The Best Hour in CRE,” and they certainly covered a lot of ground. They discussed some of today’s hottest topics, including the impact that the election and policy objectives will have on the economy, consumer confidence, U.S. debt, inflation, cap rates, CPI, Peter’s Fed predictions, where we’re at in terms of economic recovery, back to office policies, hot markets, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Willy was joined by Mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston, and Egon Terplan, strategist and advisor on urban policy and economic development, live from the University of Denver Educated Opinions Event. They discussed the urban revitalization of Denver – and cities in general – post-pandemic, how the mayor is tackling issues including homelessness, crime, and public safety, the impact of technological innovations on city development, how historical precedents impact urban planning today, the shift we’re...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr
To celebrate the 200th episode of the Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by General David Petraeus, retired four-star U.S. Army general who served as the director of the CIA, focusing on intelligence and counterterrorism. He and Willy discussed the evolving landscape of global security, how near-death experiences changed his perspective on life and leadership, physical fitness and his competitive drive, the strategy behind the raid of Bin Laden, and the threats and challenges we’re facing in the w...
Sep 19, 2024•58 min
Willy was joined by Robert Reffkin, the Founder and CEO of real estate tech company Compass, Inc., live from the 2024 Zelman & Associates Housing Summit. He and Willy discussed topics including Robert’s humble upbringing and how it led him down the path to entrepreneurship, pivotal moments that shaped his career, combatting negativity and lessons learned through hardship, Compass’ investment in technology, intricacies of the real estate market, Robert’s vision for the company and where it wi...
Sep 13, 2024•59 min
Willy was joined by one of the most notable figures in housing finance, Priscilla Almodovar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fannie Mae. She is on a mission to create a housing market that works for everyone, including whom she calls the “credit invisible” – hard working Americans who may not qualify for traditional loans. She and Willy discussed the intricacies of her career journey in the private, public, and social sectors, what drew her to the housing industry, mortgage rate predict...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Willy was joined by Matthew Weinzierl, Senior Associate Dean and Chair of the MBA Program at Harvard Business School and an economist whose research focuses on economic policy and the commercialization of space. They discussed Matthew’s intellectual pursuits and his experience as a student at HBS, his pivot from a focus on tax policy to the new frontier of space, the curriculum at HBS and their focus on leadership over strictly business, why your company needs to have a space strategy, the adopt...
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr
On this episode of the Walker Webcast, we featured an interview between Gary Pinkus, McKinsey & Company’s Chairman of North America, and Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., from W&D’s 2024 Summer Conference. They touched on Strauss’ approach to business and leadership, his origin story – from childhood ambitions of running a movie company and toying with the notion of being a performer to deciding to run a business in the creative...
Aug 22, 2024•28 min
Willy was joined by Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen, global co-chairs of the world’s most influential architecture design planning firm with over $2 billion annually in revenue, Gensler. They covered ways to drive meaningful change through the power of design, creating office spaces of the future, ways they’re working to lower emissions, how Gensler has secured their place as an industry leader, how AI and autonomous vehicles will change the face of our cities, building a culture of collaboration, ...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min
While it’s clear that we’re living through an uncertain time in history, there’s one thing Willy is confident in – the strength of our country to get through challenging times. On this Walker Webcast, we featured Willy’s opening remarks from W&D’s Summer Conference in Sun Valley. Listen to his take on consumer confidence, housing prices, asset classes including hospitality and office, the impact that climate change is having on your bottom line, single and multifamily housing starts, the imp...
Aug 08, 2024•58 min
How can we ensure the preservation of democracy? By adopting the virtues of our founding fathers. On the latest episode of the Walker Webcast, we featured Willy’s discussion with Jeffrey Rosen – president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, host of the weekly podcast We the People, professor of law at the George Washington University Law School, and contributing editor of The Atlantic – from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Their conversation centered around themes from Jeff’s newest...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Willy was joined by Wall Street Journal reporters and authors of The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. They covered key topics from the book, including the pivotal moments and figures that reshaped F1’s trajectory, the technology and engineering advancements that revolutionized the sport, how F1’s sudden arrival in the US was actually decades in the making, and the strategies that have prope...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr
Willy was once again joined by one of the most respected voices in the housing industry, W&D’s Hall of Fame housing market analyst and executive vice president and co-founder of Zelman & Associates, Ivy Zelman. She and Willy discussed rising home prices and affordability challenges, her outlook on multifamily inventory and rent growth, rate cuts, widening spreads, land prices and accessibility, housing supply constraints, the role of manufactured housing in the affordable housing crisis,...
Jul 11, 2024•53 min
Willy took a trip down memory lane with George Hawkins as they discussed the incredible turnaround at DC Water when Willy was Chairman of the Board and George was General Manager. Under their leadership, they took one of the most problematic public utilities in the country, The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, and turned it into one of the most innovative, customer-driven, environmentally friendly utilities on earth. George and Willy discussed why Willy picked George to lead the t...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Willy was once again joined by John Hope Bryant, a lifelong entrepreneur, philanthropist, bestselling author, and thought leader who has built more than 40 organizations, including Operation HOPE, Inc. His mission? To provide financial literacy and economic empowerment tools in the U.S. for youth and adults in underserved communities. He and Willy discussed his newest book, Financial Literacy For All, leadership insights, personal finance strategies, the link between education and GDP growth, st...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Willy sat down for the 18th installment of the Most Insightful Hour in CRE with renowned economist Dr. Peter Linneman – live from Chicago. Even with inflationary pressure, a looming election, and geopolitical tensions at the forefront, Peter insists, “economies, especially as big as ours, are far more resilient than we think.” Where do Peter and Willy stand on some of today’s most important topics impacting the economy and CRE? Tune into the replay for an in-depth discussion on niche asset class...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Willy was once again joined by Kate Moore, Managing Director and Head of Thematic Strategy at BlackRock, to cover the issues that are shaping the current investment landscape and influencing market trends. She and Willy discussed her view of the current global economic landscape, the latest investment trends driving growth across the sectors, the impact of insurance costs, AI opportunities and how BlackRock is staying ahead of the technology curve, her predictions on inflation and rate cuts, str...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr
Willy was joined by Joe Davis, Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), author of the newly-released book The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain, and the Chair of BCG’s Center for Inclusion and Equity. He and Willy discussed key concepts from his book, including strategies for creating a culture of collaboration and inclusivity, his personal journey to becoming a more authentic leader, how vulnerability and human connection will driv...
May 30, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Not many people are able to have a highly successful career in politics, higher education, and business in their lifetime, but our latest Walker Webcast guest did just that. Willy was joined by Mitch Daniels, Former Governor of the State of Indiana and President Emeritus of Purdue University. He and Willy discussed the details of his notable career – including his time as an executive at Eli Lilly and Company, deciding to run for governor of Indiana, and leaving politics to enter the higher educ...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min
On this episode of the Walker Webcast, we featured Willy’s highly anticipated interview with Andi Owen, CEO of MillerKnoll, a dynamic brand collective revolutionizing modern design to align with how we will live, work, and gather in the future. She and Willy discussed lessons about life and leadership, her career history and how she successfully transitioned from the fashion industry into furniture design, competitive advantages AI presents us with and the importance of embracing change, the fut...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Willy was joined by Anthony Shriver, founder, chairman, and CEO of Best Buddies, the leading global organization dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inspired by his mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver who started Special Olympics, Anthony has taken Best Buddies from an idea to a leading global non-profit impacting millions of lives. He and Willy discussed his upbringing and how his parents’ emphasis on giving ...
May 09, 2024•59 min
On this Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by Joey Gonzalez, CEO of Barry’s, one of the hottest studios in the fitness industry. It should be no surprise that Joey has facilitated the company’s exponential growth as CEO, considering he curated his own career from the ground up – starting as a client at the studio before becoming the company’s CEO years later. He and Willy discussed his career trajectory beginning as a child actor and eventually climbing the ranks at Barry’s, the importance of comm...
Apr 25, 2024•55 min
On this Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by Peter Oppenheimer, chief global equity strategist for Goldman Sachs. He is also the author of Any Happy Returns: Structural Changes and Super Cycles in Markets, which analyzes the complex factors impacting structural changes in financial markets and investor opportunities. He and Willy discussed the difference between market cycles and longer-term structural trends (what he refers to as “Super Cycles”), secular trends like AI and decarbonization that a...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Willy was once again joined by Dr. Peter Linneman for the Most Insightful Hour in CRE – and if you didn’t catch it live, you’re going to want to tune into the replay. They discussed topics from the newly released Spring Linneman Letter, including inflation projections, job growth, vacancy and absorption rates, GDP growth expectations, immigration, household wealth, a breakdown of the asset classes, the tie between economic growth and climate change, and much more. Watch or listen to the replay. ...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 8 min
On this Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by Mary Sue Coleman, former president of the University of Michigan from 2002 to 2014 and again for ten months in 2022 when the institution faced a leadership crisis. She was named one of Time magazine’s “10 best college presidents” and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Council on Education. She and Willy discussed leadership lessons she’s learned throughout her career, the potential impact of the overturning of affirmative action,...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Willy was joined by Gregory Makoff, a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and an expert on sovereign debt management. He previously worked as a banker specializing in debt restructuring, advised the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and recently authored a book, Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina’s $100 Billion Debt Restructuring. He and Willy discussed the details of Argentina’s decades-long sovereign debt litigati...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 2 min
On this Walker Webcast, Willy sat down for an in-person interview with legendary feminist activist Gloria Steinem. She is best known as a pioneer of the women’s rights movement in the 1970s and has dedicated her life to promoting gender equality and social justice. She and Willy discussed anecdotes from her humble upbringing, the importance of bodily autonomy, major milestones of her life and career, the evolution of gender roles, what she’d tell her twenty-year-old self, and so much more. Watch...
Mar 14, 2024•49 min