Who

Walk served as president of Epic Records until the end of 2008.

Backstory

After graduating Boston University in 1987, Walk joined Sony Music as a marketing rep. He worked his way up through the pop promotions department at Columbia, taking over the department in 1999 and later assuming oversight of Columbia's marketing division. In December 2005, former Sony Music honchos Donny Ienner and Michele Anthony named him the president of Columbia's sister label, Epic. Although he managed to survive a subsequent change to Sony Music's management team —Tommy Mottola cronies Ienner and Anthony were forced out and Rob Stringer was placed in charge of Sony Music's labels in the U.S.—Walk was ousted from the company in December 2008.

On the side

Walk partnered with Jeffrey Chodorow to open the Japanese steakhouse Kobe Club on West 56th Street, as well as a sister Kobe Club in Miami. The record exec wisely remained on the sidelines when the New York iteration was slammed by critics and Chodorow lashed out in February 2007 with a full-page ad in the Times.

Personal

Charlie's wife, Lauren, gave birth to the couple's fourth child, Jewel Summer, in early 2007. They apparently like the letter "J": the couple's other kids are named Jade, Jagger and Jesse. The Walks live in Tribeca and have a home in Water Mill that they picked up for $1.5 million for in 2003.