Walter Arnheim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
October 10, 1944
Walter R. Arnheim | |
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| Born | Walter Richard Arnheim October 10, 1944 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Education | BS, MBA |
| Alma mater | University of Pittsburgh Columbia University |
| Occupation | Executive Director at Washington National Opera (2000-2002) Treasurer at Mobil Oil (1995-1999) |
| Spouse | Marsha Rehns |
| Children | 2 |
Walter R. Arnheim (born October 10, 1944,[1] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American oil company executive and former director of the Washington National Opera. He is currently a renewable energy specialist, private equity manager, and an adviser to companies and non-profit organizations.
Education
Arnheim earned his BS in chemical engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1966[2] and an MBA in operations research and finance from Columbia University in 1968.[3]
Oil executive
For more than three decades, he was employed by Mobil Oil joining the company in 1968 in operations research. He retired as treasurer of the company following the merger with ExxonMobil in 1999. Over the course of his 31 years with the company, he served in multiple positions and locations, including assistant treasurer for Europe and Africa, based in London, and vice president for economics and planning, based in Mobil's US headquarters.
The Washington Opera
After leaving Mobil, Arnheim joined the Washington Opera as executive director in January 2000, which he led for two and a half years,[4] working closely with artistic director Plácido Domingo and overseeing a period of rapid growth and expansion for the company.[5] A long-time opera afficiando, he previously served as Mobil's representative on the board of the Washington Opera from 1996-1999. The move to opera management was an opportunity to bring his business acumen to support the nonprofit world. While serving as Executive Director, Arnheim lead a $2 million renovation and relocation of the Washington Opera's costume and rehearsal studio to Takoma Park[6]
Other positions
Over the course of his career he has served on the board of multiple companies, including Compaq and Spinnaker Oil Company, until it was acquired by Norsk Hydro. He taught as an associate professor at Hofstra University Business School and has been recognized as a distinguished alumni by the University of Pittsburgh.[7]