Frank Walker

Frank Harrison Walker OBE is a former British newspaper publisher on the island of Jersey who became the first Chief Minister of Jersey, serving from 2005 to 2008. Career outside politics In 1973, at the age of 29, Walker became managing director of, and acquired a major shareholding in, W. E Guiton & Co. Ltd., the parent company of the Jersey Evening Post, the Island's only daily newspaper. In 1978 the newspaper moved to new custom designed premises and installed the latest print and typesetting technology. Over the next two decades the newspaper grew its readership, substantially increased advertising revenues and recorded steady increases in profit. The company diversified into print, travel, retailing and IT and became the Guiton Group, which was floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange. In 1990 Walker stood down as group managing director and took over the chairmanship of the group. Shortly thereafter he led the team that acquired the Guernsey Evening Press, the only daily newspaper in Guernsey. The group was sold, in February 2005, to the family who own the Wolverhampton Express & Star and other titles and businesses in the West Midlands. Upon the completion of the sale Walker severed all connections with the company. Political record Walker was first elected to the States Assembly, the Island's Parliament, on 13 December 1990 as Deputy of St Helier No 3 District and topped the poll when he was re-elected in 1993; he was then elected as Senator, with an Island-wide mandate, in 1996 and re-elected in December 2002, at which time he stated that this would be his final term of office. Walker did not stand for re-election in 2008.