Ambassador Lannon Walker (Ret.), Chairman, entered the Foreign Service of the United States of America in 1961, beginning a diplomatic career which spanned 38 years. All but one of his tours with the Foreign Service was either in Africa or focused on African affairs in Washington, D.C. Among the senior positions he held were Ambassador to Senegal, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Deputy Chief of Mission, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Deputy Inspector General. Ambassador Walker retired from his position with the Foreign Service in 1999 at the rank of Career Minister. Currently, as President and CEO of Africa Strategy Corp. and chairman of JWI’s Africa Advisory Board, Ambassador Walker returns frequently to Africa, where he is able to apply his deep understanding of the region on clients’ behalf.