Walter Arnheim
Encyclopedia
Walter R. Arnheim is an 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.
in 1966 and an MBA
in operations research and finance from Columbia University
in
1968.
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.
and overseeing a period of rapid growth and expansion for the company. 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
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.
equity firm. He also serves on the board of Magellan Midstream Partners, a publicly listed petroleum logistics company with the longest system of refined petroleum product pipelines in the US, and Opera Lafayette
, a DC-based opera company.
As a recognized expert in renewable energy
, he has advised the government of Serbia
on how to develop the biomass
market as part of a program funded by USAID
. He believes that there is significant potential in the sector, especially the conversion from woodwaste to pellets.
He has a doppelganger
in the form of a picture of a tailor sitting at a sewing machine, a commonly used decal among dry cleaners in the US. Arnheim did not serve as its model.
and Richard Strauss
, he has an interest in ice hockey
and played amateur hockey for a period. A member of Beth El Synagogue
, he served as president of the congregation from 2005 to 2007.
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera is an opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F...
. He is currently a renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
specialist, private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
manager, and an adviser to companies and non-profit organizations.
Education
He earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1966 and an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in operations research and finance from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in
1968.
Oil executive
For more than three decades, he was employed by Mobil OilMobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
joining the company in 1968 in operations research. He retired as treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the company following the merger with ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
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, working closely with artistic director Placido DomingoPlácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
and overseeing a period of rapid growth and expansion for the company. 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
Other positions
Over the course of his career he has served on the board of multiple companies, including CompaqCompaq
Compaq Computer Corporation is a personal computer company founded in 1982. Once the largest supplier of personal computing systems in the world, Compaq existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for US$25 billion by Hewlett-Packard....
and Spinnaker Oil Company, until it was acquired by Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
. He taught as an associate professor at Hofstra University Business School
Frank G. Zarb School of Business
The Frank G. Zarb School of Business, located at Hofstra University, is noted for its dual AACSB accreditations in business and accounting. The school is named after alumnus Frank G. Zarb, '57 B.B.A., '62 M.B.A., who was the chair and CEO of the National Association of Securities Dealers and a...
and has been recognized as a distinguished alumni by the University of Pittsburgh.
Recent activities
He is currently President of Mozaik Investments, a privateequity firm. He also serves on the board of Magellan Midstream Partners, a publicly listed petroleum logistics company with the longest system of refined petroleum product pipelines in the US, and Opera Lafayette
Opera Lafayette
Opera Lafayette is an is an opera company based in Washington, D.C. that produces French operas from the 17th and 18th Centuries. It was founded in 1995 by Ryan Brown and performs at the Kennedy Center, among other venues....
, a DC-based opera company.
As a recognized expert in renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, he has advised the government of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
on how to develop the biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
market as part of a program funded by USAID
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
. He believes that there is significant potential in the sector, especially the conversion from woodwaste to pellets.
He has a doppelganger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
in the form of a picture of a tailor sitting at a sewing machine, a commonly used decal among dry cleaners in the US. Arnheim did not serve as its model.
Personal interests
In addition to Arnheim's passion for opera, which is focused on German operas, including those by Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
and Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
, he has an interest in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and played amateur hockey for a period. A member of Beth El Synagogue
Congregation Beth El (Bethesda, Maryland)
Congregation Beth El is a synagogue located in Bethesda, Maryland. Beth El is an egalitarian synagogue providing diverse worship in the Conservative tradition....
, he served as president of the congregation from 2005 to 2007.