Expert resume of Walter Gontarek

CEO of Channel Capital Advisors; Visiting Fellow (Finance) at the Cranfield School of Management in the UK; founder of credit products business at the Royal Bank of Canada as Global Head and MD; P.R.I.M.E. Finance expert

Walter Gontarek is the CEO/ Chair of Channel in London. Channel is a London-based asset management firm, authorised and regulated by the UK FCA focusing on investments in the innovation economy.  Walt previously founded the credit products business at the Royal Bank of Canada as Global Head and managing director.

Walt is a Visiting Academic Fellow at the Cranfield School of Management, a Professor (Hon) at Aberdeen University, and a lecturer at SciencesPo Paris. His research interests lie with risk governance, digital markets and has recently published in leading academic journals and presented at global conferences with the ECGI, ICGS and the IRMC (International Risk Management Conferences). 

Walt presented at the initial launch of P.R.I.M.E. in 2012 as well as its 6th Annual Conference in 2017, both at the Peace Palace. He holds a Doctorate in Finance from Cranfield University, an MBA in Finance from NYU Stern, and a BBA from Loyola University.

Walt serves as non-exec Chairman of Wiserfunding Ltd, a London FinTech, as Independent Director of Frontclear, a development bank backed platform in Amsterdam, and on the board of directors as INED and Risk/Audit Committee and Investment Committee member for the UK regulated arms of Catalina Re, owned by Apollo Global Management affiliates.