As president of JES Holdings, LLC, Walker Smith focuses on the strategy and day-to-day operations of the company.
Walker began his career in real estate as the founder and CEO of JWS Developments, LLC, where he purchased, renovated, marketed and rented residential real estate. He broadened his experience at The Kroenke Group, a leading U.S. owner and developer of shopping centers and apartments, and at Planigrupo, the largest developer and manager of shopping malls throughout Mexico and Colombia. Prior to joining JES Holdings, Walker worked for Rialto Capital Management, a real estate investment management company in New York City, where he financed commercial real estate through CMBS lending and securitization. He brings these experiences and expertise to his role as President of JES Holdings, LLC.
Walker graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in business administration from Babson College. Concentrating in Finance, he was the recipient of The Wallace P. Mors Award which is awarded to the top finance student in the institution.
In addition to volunteering with The United Way, he honors his family’s commitment to providing educational opportunities in real estate and finance to students through the Jeffrey E. Smith Institute of Real Estate & Capital Markets. Founded in 2005, the institute operates within the Robert J. Trulaske, Senior College of Business at the University of Missouri.
