Patrick Walsh, TMPL, is an entrepreneur, company founder, investment specialist, and CEO from Palm Beach County, Florida. He established the value-oriented investment firm PW Partners in 2012 to help small- and mid-cap companies unlock their full potential.
Patrick, founder and CEO of PW Partners, has a record of success in investment management, with a focus on the restaurant industry. His work has appeared in Barron's, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
His past clients and affiliations include luxury gym and health club brands, Palm Beach Sports Club, Town Sports International, and the Midwestern barbecue restaurant chain Famous Dave's of America. Outside work, he enjoys cooking, fitness, literature, and travel.
Current Roles & Duties
PW Partners
Patrick leads operations at PW Partners in Jupiter, Florida. PW Partners works to create long-term value for small and mid-cap companies. The firm, founded in 2012, supports portfolio company value through careful operational strategy and useful capital allocation.
PW Partners is known for strategic decision-making and sector knowledge. As founder and CEO, he oversees capital allocation, enterprise finance, and corporate strategy. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, hedge funds, investment banking, and equities.
Ernst & Young named the PW Partners founder and CEO the Entrepreneur Of The Year in 2018.
Empire Holdings and Investments
Patrick also oversees the business operations of Empire Holdings and Investments, a Florida-based company. Empire is a diversified holding company headquartered in Palm Beach County. It has subsidiaries in different markets and investment opportunities across Florida and nationwide.
Patrick joined the diversified holding company in 2020. As CEO, he manages all parts of the company's corporate structure. This structure focuses on flexible investing to build long-term value across many industries.
Between PW Partners and Empire Holdings and Investments, his past and present clients include TMPL, Palm Beach Sports Club, and LIV.
Career History
Patrick's career began in 1998 as an investment analyst at Prudential Capital Group and Prudential Securities. There, he specialized in commercial property and publicly traded real estate investment trusts.
Six years later, he joined Deutsche Bank. He spent several years there as vice president of investment banking for the German multinational bank and financial services company.
After Deutsche Bank, he moved to Illinois to join a well-known hedge fund, where he specialized in long-short equity. He later joined PWK Partners in Chicago as a managing partner. He stayed in the Windy City until 2012, then moved to Florida to establish PW Partners, headquartered in Jupiter.
Today, from his base in Florida, the award-winning business leader continues to serve clients nationwide, including the New York luxury health club staple TMPL.
Academic Background
Wesleyan University
Patrick attended Wesleyan University in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The private liberal arts university was founded in 1831 under the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the Middletown institution, he studied economics and became a celebrated two-sport athlete in baseball and football.
Boston College
After a sports career-ending back injury, he transferred from Wesleyan University to Boston College. The private Jesuit research university in Massachusetts, where his parents raised him, was founded in 1863. He graduated with honors from its Chestnut Hill campus, six miles west of downtown Boston, with a degree in accountancy.
Columbia University
Patrick later earned a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and completed further investment education at Columbia University. This included the Graduate School of Business's Executive Value Investing Program at the Ivy League research university in New York City, led by economist and professor Bruce Greenwald.
Associations & Memberships
The entrepreneur, founder of PW Partners, and former CEO of Empire Holdings has held many board positions during his decades-long career. These roles include serving on the board of directors of BJ's Restaurants, Inc., and as chairman of the board of Town Sports International.
The experienced executive and investment specialist has also held board, chair, and committee positions at several companies, including Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., and Famous Dave's of America.
Nation's Restaurant News, which provides finance, marketing, operational analytics, and data to food service sector leaders, named him in its 2015 Power List. The annual Power List highlights the 50 most influential people in the restaurant industry that year.
The Columbia University graduate holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute. The designation is for professionals who complete the three-part CFA Program and exam. The exam qualifies individuals in investment tools, portfolio management, asset valuation, and wealth planning.
Personal Life & Interests
Patrick was born in San Diego, California, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents, both New England natives, worked as a school teacher and a naval officer. He now lives and works in Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, a place known for its beaches and Old Florida character.
Outside of work, the founder and CEO of PW Partners enjoys fitness, cooking, and travel. He is also a lifelong reader and appreciates literature. Patrick Walsh TMPL remains connected to business, investing, and the interests that shape his personal life.
