About Dave Walker

David M. Walker is President and CEO of The Peter G. Peterson Foundation.  In addition to his leadership responsibilities at the Foundation, Walker serves on various boards and advisory groups. For example, he is Chairman of the United Nations Independent Audit Advisory Committee, a member of The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's Advisory Committee, and a member of the Trilateral Commission.

As Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 1998 to 2008, spanning both Democratic and Republican administrations, Dave served as the federal government's chief auditor. Appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed unanimously by the US Senate, he was an outspoken, nonpartisan advocate for addressing the major fiscal and other sustainability challenges facing the country. He also enacted transformational reforms at GAO and within the accountability profession.

Prior to his appointment as Comptroller General, Walker served as a partner and global managing director of Arthur Anderson LLP and in several government leadership positions, including as a Public Trustee for Social Security and Medicare from 1990 to 1995 and as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs during the Reagan administration. Before his time at Arthur Andersen, Walker worked for Source Finance, a human resources and recruiting firm, and before that was with Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse & Co.

Walker is a CPA and has a B.S. degree in accounting from Jacksonville University, a Senior Management in Government Certificate in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also has  several Honorary Doctorate degrees. Walker testifies regularly before Congress and he is a frequent writer and commentator.  He has authored two books with a third book entitled "Comeback America" scheduled to be released in January 2010. He is also a subject of the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A.