Al Walker, CSP, CPAE - Biography

Al Walker is a masterful teacher and is nationally recognized for his unique, fun-loving, humorous approach to speaking. Al Walker is president of Al Walker and Associates, Inc., a firm dedicated to helping businesses and individuals solve problems through professional speaking, training and consulting services.

Al earned a business degree from the University of South Carolina. After graduation, he joined a residential building and development corporation. Within two years as head of sales and marketing, the firm was the highest dollar volume residential builder in South Carolina. During that time, Al attended a Dale Carnegie course and decided his future was in training and developing people. He joined Dale Carnegie and for five years sold and taught their programs throughout South Carolina. He quickly became one of the top-rated instructors in the organization. In 1981, he started his own company. His international client list includes IBM, Wal-Mart, BASF, NCR, BellSouth and Westinghouse/CBS. Al’s articles on leadership, sales, customer service and personal development have appeared in professional publications throughout the world.

He is a former Regional Vice President for Sales and Marketing Executives International from which he earned the designation Certified Sales Executive. He has served on SMEI’s Foundation Board of Directors. Al is past president of the National Speakers Association and has served as Chairman of the NSA Foundation Board of Trustees. He has earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional from NSA and his NSA colleagues inducted him into the prestigious Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speakers Hall of Fame which is the highest recognition in professional speaking. There are only 119 CPAE’s in the world today including Harvey Mackay, Ronald Reagan, Art Linkletter and Zig Ziglar. And recently, his colleagues recognized Al’s service to the speaking industry by awarding him The Cavett Award - the National Speakers Association’s highest and most cherished award presented annually to the member who has rendered exceptional service to the speaking industry and the association.