George Herbert Walker IV

George Herbert Walker IV
Born	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation	Investment executive
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman

George Herbert Walker IV (born April 1969) is a prominent American investment executive. He serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Neuberger Berman, a leading independent, employee-owned investment management company. During Walker's tenure, the firm navigated the bankruptcy of its parent company, Lehman Brothers, was reacquired by its employees, and has since maintained a position among the top-performing firms in the sector. Walker is related as a first cousin once removed to the 41st U.S. president George H. W. Bush and as a second cousin to both the 43rd president George W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush.

Early life and education

Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Walker is the son of Kimberly Gedge and George Herbert Walker III, who held roles as an investment brokerage executive and former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. His lineage traces back to a family of St. Louis-based industrialists and financiers; his great-grandfather, George Herbert Walker, established G. H. Walker & Co., which eventually became part of Merrill Lynch. Additionally, his grandfather, George Herbert Walker Jr., was a co-founder of the New York Mets. Through his grand-aunt Dorothy’s marriage to Senator Prescott Bush, he is connected to the Bush political dynasty.

Walker attended St. Louis Country Day School before spending 1986–87 in Germany on a scholarship awarded by both the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. At the University of Pennsylvania, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with dual degrees: a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in European History, both earned with summa cum laude honors. He was recognized as a Harry S. Truman Scholar, named a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, and affiliated with St. Anthony Hall. Subsequently, he attained an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a Palmer Scholar.

Career

Walker launched his professional journey on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs in 1992 within the Merger Department. By 1998, he had ascended to become one of the youngest partners ever at the firm, later assuming senior leadership positions including co-head of Wealth Management and head of Alternative Investment Strategies.

Under appointment by President George H. W. Bush, Walker contributed to the Jacob Javits and Presidential Scholar Boards under the Department of Education.

He transitioned to Lehman Brothers to oversee its Investment Management Division, encompassing Neuberger Berman. Following Lehman's bankruptcy filing, Walker orchestrated a management-led buyout and took on the roles of chairman and CEO at Neuberger Berman. His leadership has helped Neuberger Berman earn repeated recognition as a Best Place to Work by Pensions and Investments for over ten years.

In October 2023, Walker was chosen as Chair of the Board of Governors for the Investment Company Institute (ICI).

Community Service

Walker holds board memberships with organizations such as the Partnership for New York City (where he serves as Vice Chair), the Ford Foundation, Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, and Trinity School.

His prior board involvements include service at New School University, where he chaired the board at Parsons School of Design, as well as advisory roles with the University of Pennsylvania Arts & Sciences Board, Youth EnterNet, and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. In 2003, he established an endowed chair—the Alan Charles Kors Term Associate Professorship of History—at the University of Pennsylvania.