John Walker

Los Altos, CA



My business experience

I have 25 years of general manager/presidential experience, including co-founding a venture capital-backed start-up (Fermentec) and family business (BayView Distributing), as well as corporate GM experience with Boise Cascade Corporation and the Leslie Salt Company.

My Vistage experience

I started my first Vistage Chief Executive group in San Francisco in 1987, and have since added two more Chief Executive groups in Silicon Valley, a Key Executive group and a Trusted Advisor group. Previously I was the first Vice President of Marketing at Vistage and also a Regional Manager for a four-state area. I have also mentored more than 20 new Chairs, helping them to start their own groups. I currently serve on the Vistage Chair Advisory Board.

I am a Vistage Master Chair (a title denoting exceptional service to Vistage members and our community) and the recipient of the prestigious Don Cope Memorial Award. I have also received the Chair Excellence Award or equivalent more than 15 times.

My Vistage groups

Members of my three Chief Executive groups represent a broad cross-section of businesses throughout the Bay Area, including service, manufacturing, high technology and construction businesses, ranging from a few million to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. Each of the groups has a different “personality,” including a high-tech focus, owner/manager focus and services focus. The mix of genders, ages, education, nationalities and experiences among the members generates a rich resource of perspectives in each group.

Vistage is all about helping members achieve their goals in business and in life. As a Vistage Chair, my purpose is to provoke questions and create the ideal environment of high trust and openness so that every member can safely address his/her most pressing challenges and opportunities. My vision is that every month, each member looks forward to coming to his/her Vistage group meeting—to hanging up the “Superman” cape at the door, spending a day working on the business among friends and peers, and leaving at the end of the day refreshed, stimulated and ready to tackle the issues of the day with renewed energy and insights. This produces better leaders who make better and timelier decisions and achieve exceptional results.

Who is the “ideal” Vistage member?

A chief executive who:

  • Is committed to improving his/her business and to personal growth
  • Exhibits a high sense of integrity and ethics
  • Has the courage to make the changes necessary to succeed
  • Can be open with peers in a confidential environment
  • Has a proven record of success

More about John Walker

I have a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Stanford University. I am past president of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association for the Bay Area and a former member of the Los Altos Citizens Financial Advisory Committee. I enjoy reading for pleasure and business, sailing, Stanford sports, relaxing in our San Diego home, and spending time with my family.