Walker & Dunlop career journey spotlight: Johnny Harris

Investment in relationships: Climbing the professional ladder at W&D

The people you meet can drive you to the next level. I’ve discovered this in my career path from accounting to business development and in how I joined, then rejoined, Walker & Dunlop.

My first experience in commercial real estate was when I was working for a public accounting firm and Walker & Dunlop was my client. Through this position, I became interested in commercial real estate finance and was impressed by Walker & Dunlop’s family culture.  

When one of my coworkers at the public accounting firm joined Walker & Dunlop as comptroller, we kept in close touch. And when a position opened up in the accounting/financial reporting group, I applied for it. Before I knew it, I was employee #140.

I left Walker & Dunlop in 2014 to further build out my knowledge in management, finance, and business. It was a very emotional decision to move to Chicago and away from my Walker & Dunlop colleagues, but earning an MBA turned out to be an incredibly valuable journey.

After graduation, I was working as an executive trainee at a regional bank when I connected with Walker & Dunlop’s head of business development, who told me that the group was expanding. When I learned about all of the company’s growth initiatives, and  thought about the chance to rejoin extremely driven, caring and collaborative colleagues, I jumped at the opportunity.

Throughout my life, I’ve had a great time meeting people with unique backgrounds and experiences, whether it’s traveling, learning about a business, structuring an M&A deal, or playing in one of Walker & Dunlop’s annual football games. I can truly say that the relationships I’ve developed at Walker & Dunlop have been among the most valued and trusted I’ve experienced across my career.

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