Off the Rak

Walt Rakowich
  • 5.0 (3)
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Walt Rakowich's passion to help shape a generation of leaders who lead with honesty, humility and heart inspired him to launch Off the Rak: Conversations on Transformative Leadership. Featuring rich and raw conversations with notable leaders across different industries, Off the Rak inspires curious leaders to embrace challenges, seize opportunities and become positive influences in their world.

  1. 8h ago

    Rak Rewind: Remote Teamwork and Career Insights for Emerging Leaders with Matt Khourie

    Matt Khourie, former CEO of Trammell Crow Company is here to discuss our experiences in the real estate industry — and at the same company — managing remote employees, and career advice for emerging leaders in (or outside of) the real estate industry. About the Guest Matt Khourie is the founder of Khourie Family Interests (KFI), an investment vehicle for the Khourie family. Prior to the establishment of KFI, Matt had a 42 year career in the commercial real estate industry. Most recently, Matt Khourie was the Vice Chairman for Trammell Crow Company (TCC). In this role, he partnered with the TCC Leadership Team on strategic growth initiatives to further drive the TCC offering across geographies and product types. Matt acted as Chair of the firm’s three investment committees – U.S., European Logistics and Telford Homes UK – and was also a member of the TCC Executive Committee and the Telford Homes Board. Prior to his appointment to Vice Chairman in January 2022, he served as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for CBRE’s Real Estate Investments (REI) business segment and for TCC. From 2016-2020, Matt was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TCC, where he was responsible for the management and day-to-day operations of the Company. In his role as TCC CEO, Matt led the growth of the firm’s development activity from $10B to $21B by focusing expansion on the Multi-Family and International footprints. Before his tenure as TCC CEO, he served as CEO of CBRE Global Investors (CBRE GI), where he was focused on the global management of the Company and served as chairman of the firm’s Global Executive Committee and Global Leadership Team. In his role as CEO of CBRE GI, Matt led the 2011 acquisition/integration of ING Real Estate into CBRE GI, growing assets under management from $30 Billion to $95 Billion and elevating CBRE GI to a top 3 global investment manager. During his original 29-year tenure at TCC, starting in 1980, Matt worked in various management positions including leadership roles that focused on development, investment strategy, portfolio management, and institutional investor relations. Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  2. Oct 6

    Do the Right-est Thing for Data-Backed Good Business with Martin Whittaker

    Making a profit is a critically important purpose of any organization. But leaders who think and act like it begins and ends there will struggle to create long-term value and impact in today’s climates without considering what their congregations desire. JUST Capital is measuring the public’s priorities about responsible corporate behavior and provides those invaluable insights to organizations. Tune in as its founding CEO Martin Whittaker joins Off the Rak to share how this translates to longevity and a broader wealth for more Americans. About the Guest Martin Whittaker is a recognized leader with thirty years’ experience at the intersection of global business, investing, philanthropy and social and environmental impact. He is the founding CEO of Just Capital, the nonprofit formed by Paul Tudor Jones II to catalyze private sector leadership on major societal challenges. He is also a co-founder and Board member of the CREO family office investment syndicate, a member of the Forbes Finance Council and Forbes Contributor, and a Commissioner to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development’s inequality initiative. Martin was named to the 2020 NACD Directorship 100 – the annual list of the most influential people in the boardroom and on corporate governance – and to Business Insider’s 2020 List of 100 People Transforming Business. Previously, he served as a senior impact advisor to Edelman, a member of Harvard Business School’s Impact Weighted Accounts Initiative Advisory Council; a board member of the Carbon Disclosure Project U.S.; a board member of the hydrogen transportation company H2 Clipper; part of the G7 Impact Taskforce’s Working Group on Impact Transparency and Integrity; and an Advisory Council Member of PayPal’s Employee Financial Wellness Program. Prior to Just Capital, Martin was a founding partner and investment committee member at Sonen Capital, an impact investing firm, where he led private equity, real asset and direct investing activities. Martin has also served as Director of MissionPoint Capital Partners, a family office-led private equity firm; Senior Vice President at Swiss Re, where he was part of the Environmental and Commodity Markets team; and Managing Director at Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, Inc., a pioneering sustainable investment advisory and ESG research firm. Martin received his Ph.D. from University of Edinburgh, an MBA from the University of London, an M.Sc. from McGill University and a B.Sc. from University of St. Andrews. Martin has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, provided expert testimony on environmental markets to the U.S. Senate, consulted to multiple major corporations on sustainability- and impact-related matters, and been an invited speaker and guest lecturer at business schools including Yale, Columbia, Harvard and MIT. He is a published writer, and is a regular commentator in the media and at events including, among others, the World Economic Forum, the White House, CNBC, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the BBC. Links in this Episode Just Capital Martin Whittaker LinkedIn Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  3. Sep 22

    Leading with Your Values and a Commitment to Servant Leadership with Mike Duke

    Servant leaders practice the golden rule of treating people the way you wish to be treated Mike Duke, retired chief executive officer of Walmart, joins me on Off the Rak to exchange stories based on our experiences as corporate leaders, to discuss the importance of values-based leadership and being a servant leader in the workplace. We also share some personal stories of faith that inspire our leadership styles. About the Guest Michael T. Duke is the former president and chief executive officer of Walmart, Inc. As a Distinguished Executive Fellow at Scheller College of Business, he works with the Dean of the College, Maryam Alavi, on strategic initiatives and strengthening partnerships with the local and national business communities. During his five-year tenure as CEO, Mr. Duke helped Walmart navigate a period of economic, social and technological change while delivering strong financial results. He put in place the building blocks for the company’s future by making critical investments in technology and talent, including a strong management team. He also broadened Walmart’s commitment to lead on some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time. He has long been a champion for diversity and was especially engaged in the advancement of women, both inside and outside the company. Mr. Duke joined Walmart in 1995, and over his 19 years with the company led the logistics, distribution and administration divisions as well as Walmart U.S. In 2005, he was appointed to vice chairman with responsibility for Walmart International. Prior to joining Walmart, Mr. Duke had 23 years of experience in retailing with Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores. Mr. Duke continues to serve on the Board of Directors of Walmart, Inc. He has previously served on the board of directors of Chick-Fil-A, The Consumer Goods Forum, the executive committee of Business Roundtable, the board of advisors of the University of Arkansas, and the advisory board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and a son. Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  4. Sep 8

    Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams: NYC Mixtape Honoring a Landmark Anniversary

    True leadership lives in the trenches, not the title. As we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, we’re looking back at oral histories from Off the Rak guests who lived in, worked in, and love New York City. From pursuing your dreams in the bright lights of the big city to managing public crises in the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, this episode brings together three short stories of reinvention, resilience, and purpose from Broadway actor and producer Robert Creighton; film writer, director, producer Eliot V. Kotek; and forensics expert Barbara Butcher.  Get inspired by this compilation of leadership moments about finding your priorities, chasing optimism, and staying human while pursuing your passion in the town where dreams are made. While this year marks an important anniversary, the September 11 Memorial & Museum's own research says more than 100 million Americans now have no lived memory of that day. This comes even as the upcoming ceremony plans to add a seventh moment of silence, one for people who've died from 9/11-related illness in the years since.  If you’d like to learn more about efforts to preserve the Legacy of 9/11 for future generations and help keep the promise of “We Remember,” please visit https://the911legacy.org/. Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  5. Aug 25

    Rak Rewind: You Could Be in Ranger School — Building Cohesive Teams with Herman Bulls

    What positive influence looks like from the field to the front lines with the Vice Chairman at JLL We don’t have the space here to share Herman Bulls’ impressive resume in real estate operations and investment management for public institutions, and on the boards of many organizations for our military like USAA, West Point Association of Graduates, and the Department of Defense. But we can tell you his influence has been felt across dozens of organizations as a board member among the top 100 corporate governance professionals in corporate America, and he’s joining us on the next Off the Rak to share some must-have insights on delivering value, influencing change, and building trust for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. About the Guest Herman Bulls is the International Director and Vice Chairman at JLL, a global financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate operations and investment management.  Herman serves on several boards, most notably the US Department of Defense and the USAA, a Fortune-100 diversified financial services firm serving military members and their families–but not Rob Gronkowski, although I think he wishes Herman would!  He is a National Association of Corporate Directors Fellow and is recognized as one of the most influential individuals in corporate America and among the top 100 corporate governance professionals in the nation. Herman earned his engineering degree at West Point and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Before his current post at JLL, he completed nearly 12 years of active duty with the U.S. Army. Among his last assignments were the Pentagon and West Point. He retired as a colonel in 2008. Herman’s life experience converges on delivering value, creating impact, and building trust. Herman likes to say, “It’s not about you; it’s about the team.”  Today, we’ll talk about Herman’s formative years and how he recreated some of those early learning moments for his sons. We’ll also learn about his pivot from a heartbreaking disappointment to pursuing an even greater path of impact. We’ll unpack more recent areas where he’s creating impact and what best practices he likes to share with aspiring leaders. Links in this Episode Herman Bulls on LinkedIn Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  6. Aug 4

    Strategy Rules for Human-Centered Leadership and Culture with Brad Deutser

    About 60 - 80,000 thoughts go through a leader's mind each day — how do you break through the noise to what really matters? Keynote speaker, executive coach, and best-selling author Brad Deutser has tackled this question by bridging culture and performance. When we bring our best selves to work, we do our best work, and leaders who create workplaces with organizational clarity and the security of belonging can deliver results. Tune in as Brad returns to Off the Rak to share his frameworks for prioritizing human-centered leadership and disrupting the chaos. About the Guest Brad Deutser is the founder and CEO of Deutser, a speaker, executive coach, and the bestselling author Belonging Rules and Leading Clarity. Brad’s clients and coaching take him to amazing places – in athletics, aviation, education, entertainment, energy, finance, healthcare, non-profit – with incredibly thoughtful leaders around the world. He takes on the most high-level challenges forging through them with creativity and grace to design and bring to life the most original solutions. Brad has been called on to define and transition the culture at the NFL’s Houston Texans as well as supporting the transformation of the University of Arizona football program, while serving as a leadership and performance coach to the players as well as executives across the world. He serves as the architect of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Houston, the three-time recognized #1 entrepreneurial program in the US. The University of Texas selected his approach to navigate complex social and cultural issues. And countless leaders have brought the Deutser team in to navigate generational transitions and conflicts within families and complex companies, to facilitate cultural integration post-merger/acquisition, and to support the health, wellbeing and safety of tens of thousands of employees across too many businesses to name. Links in this Episode The Human-Centered Leader Newsletter Deutser.com Brad's LinkedIn Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  7. Jul 21

    Rak Rewind: Collaborating on a Community Vision with Kourtny Garrett

    Kourtny Garrett, CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, has a strong reputation for making communities better. We touch on inspiring topics such as the importance of leadership within the workplace and communities, the mantras that motivate her and help drive her success, and the vision she holds for the community she leads. About the Guest With 25 years of experience in the development of livable communities, Garrett is fueled by a passion for cities. Her expertise is rooted in building social, cultural and economic vibrancy, creating places for people that provide access and opportunity for all. The mantra of her life and her work follows the great Jane Jacobs’, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”  While in Dallas, Garrett worked on the revitalization of Downtown through a period that included more than $11 billion of investment, public-private partnerships that brought more than 40 vacant buildings back to life, and a steady rise in residents from just a few hundred to more than 13,000. One of her proudest achievements was a decade-long process to create Downtown Dallas’ first public elementary school with Dallas ISD. Prior to her work in Downtown Dallas, Garrett led community relations work for Children’s health, with particular focus on hospital network expansion. Her career started in community relations, government relations and retail development at a then-new lifestyle center in Southlake, Texas.  Garrett is a Marshall Memorial Fellow and an honorary member of the Texas Society of Architects and AIADallas. She is a several-time honoree of many Dallas-based media awards such as Forty Under 40 (2009), 78 Women Who Make Dallas Great (2021) and Dallas-Fort Worth’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders (2016- 2021). In addition, her long-standing commitment to the Dallas community included roles on Dallas ISD’s Business Advisory Board, and the Boards of Directors of Children’s Health, the Dallas Regional Chamber and a long list that includes public, non-profit and community organizations.  Garrett has expanded her work nationally and internationally through research and participation in the International Downtown Association, German Marshall Foundation, Brookings Institute and the International Business of Cities. She has published through many of these organizations, working toward the health and vitality of city centers across the globe.  Garrett, originally from Colorado, was selected to lead the Downtown Denver Partnership from over 400 candidates through a national executive search. In Denver, Garrett is proud to sit on the Board of Directors of Visit Denver and the CAP Advisory Board of the CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning. Links in this Episode www.downtowndenver.com Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

  8. Jul 7

    Transforming and Leading Giants (and Your Career) with Gail McGovern

    Gail McGovern’s career spans leading a $26 billion business unit at AT&T, presiding over Fidelity Personal Investments, and teaching at Harvard Business School, before answering what she might call the most important call of her career. She joined the American Red Cross in 2008 when the organization needed stabilizing leadership, and she never wavered in her conviction that doing the right thing is non-negotiable—even when it’s costly or second-guessed. Through earthquakes, hurricanes, and a global pandemic, her compass stayed true to delivering the best for people in need and in her organization, demonstrating a commitment to her instincts, her integrity and her determination. Tune in for a conversation that delves into rebuilding a legacy institution from the inside out and what it takes to lead with heart when there’s no margin for error. Take home lessons on what transformative leadership looks like in times of crisis and how to translate ambition into purpose that endures. About the Guest Gail J. McGovern assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross on July 1, 2024, after serving as the organization’s president and CEO for more than 16 years. As Chair, Gail leads the Board in its governance and oversight of Red Cross operations. During her tenure as president and CEO, McGovern helped to transform the venerable American institution into a 21st Century emergency response and blood services organization. Her transformational initiatives led to improved financial stability and expanded the reach of lifesaving Red Cross services. She also oversaw the organization’s response to multiple high-profile disasters across the country and around the world and initiated extensive modernization projects – including an overhaul of Red Cross IT systems and the growth of the organization’s leadership in social media and mobile technologies.  Prior to joining the Red Cross, McGovern was a faculty member at the Harvard Business School and earlier had served as president of Fidelity Personal Investments, a unit of Fidelity Investments. She was also executive vice president at AT&T for the Consumer Markets Division, the company’s largest business unit, and was responsible for its $26 billion residential long-distance service. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Columbia University. In May 2026, McGovern received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. McGovern is currently a member of the board of trustees for Johns Hopkins Medicine. She also serves on the board of directors of DTE Energy. McGovern was recognized by Fortune magazine in 2000 and 2001 as one of the top 50 most powerful women in corporate America. Links in this Episode American Red Cross Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak Follow @waltrakowich on Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | Threads

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About

Walt Rakowich's passion to help shape a generation of leaders who lead with honesty, humility and heart inspired him to launch Off the Rak: Conversations on Transformative Leadership. Featuring rich and raw conversations with notable leaders across different industries, Off the Rak inspires curious leaders to embrace challenges, seize opportunities and become positive influences in their world.

Information

  • Creator
    Walt Rakowich
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Transfluence LLC
  • Show Website
    Off the Rak