About
About
Patrick Walsh’s professional path has been shaped by investment work, company leadership, and a long focus on building value in businesses. He is based in Palm Beach County, Florida, and is the founder and CEO of PW Partners. Walsh established the firm in 2012 with a value-oriented investment approach centered on small and mid-cap companies.
Through PW Partners, Walsh helps companies improve operations, make better financial decisions, and increase long-term value. His career has focused on investment management and the restaurant industry. His work has also been featured in Barron's, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
His past clients and business affiliations include TMPL, Palm Beach Sports Club, Town Sports International, and Famous Dave's of America. Outside of his professional life, Patrick has interests in cooking, fitness, literature, and travel.
Patrick serves as CEO of PW Partners, based in Jupiter, Florida. The firm works with small and mid-cap companies and focuses on creating lasting value through business planning, capital allocation, and operational strategy.
PW Partners was founded in 2012. Since that time, Walsh has led the firm with an emphasis on practical decision-making and sector understanding. The company works to improve the value of its portfolio companies through careful financial planning and well-structured operational processes.
As founder and CEO, Walsh oversees capital allocation, enterprise finance, and corporate strategy. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, hedge funds, investment banking, and equities. These areas allow him to support companies through both financial review and business development.
In 2018, Ernst & Young named Patrick, founder and CEO of PW Partners, Entrepreneur Of The Year.
Patrick Walsh also oversees Empire Holdings and Investments, a diversified holding company based in Palm Beach County, Florida. The company has subsidiaries across different markets and considers investment opportunities in Florida and nationwide.
Walsh joined Empire Holdings and Investments in 2020. In his role as CEO, he manages the company’s corporate structure and supports its flexible investment approach. The company’s work is centered on building long-term value across a range of industries.
Between PW Partners and Empire Holdings and Investments, Walsh’s past and present clients include TMPL, Palm Beach Sports Club, and LIV.
Patrick began his career in 1998 as an investment analyst at Prudential Capital Group and Prudential Securities. In this early role, he worked with commercial property and publicly traded real estate investment trusts.
After six years at Prudential, Walsh joined Deutsche Bank. He worked for several years as a vice president in investment banking at a German multinational bank and financial services company. This position gave him more experience in investment banking and corporate finance.
Walsh later moved to Illinois and joined a well-known hedge fund. There, he specialized in long-short equity. He then became a managing partner at PWK Partners in Chicago.
He stayed in Chicago until 2012. That year, he relocated to Florida and founded PW Partners in Jupiter. Today, he continues to work from Florida while serving clients across the United States, including TMPL, a luxury health club brand in New York.
Patrick Walsh attended Wesleyan University in Middlesex County, Connecticut. Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts university founded in 1831 under the Methodist Episcopal Church.
At the Middletown institution, Walsh studied economics. He also competed as a two-sport athlete in baseball and football.
After a back injury ended his sports career, Walsh transferred from Wesleyan University to Boston College. Boston College is a private Jesuit research university in Massachusetts, where Walsh was raised by his parents.
The university was founded in 1863. Walsh graduated with honors from the Chestnut Hill campus, located six miles west of downtown Boston, and earned a degree in accountancy.
Walsh later earned a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He also continued his investment education at Columbia University.
At Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business in New York City, he completed the Executive Value Investing Program. Economist and professor Bruce Greenwald taught the program.
Patrick Walsh has held several board and leadership roles during his career. He has served on the board of directors of BJ's Restaurants, Inc., and as chairman of the board of Town Sports International.
He has held board, chair, and committee positions with several companies, including Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., and Famous Dave's of America. These roles reflect his experience in corporate oversight, investment strategy, and the restaurant industry.
Nation's Restaurant News named Walsh to its 2015 Power List. The annual list recognized the 50 most influential people in the restaurant industry.
Walsh also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute. The CFA charter is awarded to professionals who complete the three-part CFA Program and pass the required exam. The program covers investment tools, portfolio management, asset valuation, and wealth planning.
Patrick was born in San Diego, California, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother and father were New England natives. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was a naval officer.
Walsh now lives and works in Jupiter, Florida, in Palm Beach County. Jupiter is known for its beaches and Old Florida character. When he is away from work, he enjoys fitness, cooking, travel, and reading. His interest in literature has remained part of his personal life for many years. In both business and personal pursuits, he continues to value discipline, steady improvement, and thoughtful decision-making through his work with PW Partners and Patrick Walsh Empire Holdings.