The Chairmen's RoundTable Members Get Coached by Bill Walton

Online, May 5, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The Chairmen's RoundTable (CRT), a San Diego-based, non profit volunteer organization that provides gratis mentoring and business advice to CEOs and presidents of local, private businesses, held a mixer for members last week featuring Bill Walton as the guest speaker. The event was hosted by CRT sponsor, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, a full service AmLaw 100 firm with over 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in California , New York , Washington , D.C. and Shanghai.

Bill Walton is a native San Diegan and started playing basketball in the fourth grade. He attended Helix High School where his team won the California Interscholastic Federation High School title two years in a row. Walton enrolled at UCLA in 1970 and played center for John Wooden's Varsity team for three seasons (1972-1974). He was a member of two NCAA championship teams compiling an NCAA record 88 consecutive game winning streak. He was the recipient of several awards and graduated with honors earning a B.A. in History.

Walton 's professional basketball career began when he was the number one overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. He won championship titles with the Blazers and the Boston Celtics. He also played with the San Diego Clippers, and the relocated Los Angeles Clippers. Over the course of his NBA career, he was honored with numerous awards and was eventually inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

"The CRT members are used to doing the mentoring, but Bill was doing the coaching with our group last week," said Jeff Campbell, Chairman of the CRT. "One of the things he said that really stuck was 'being quick is not about your feet, it's about your mind. This is so true. When we mentor business executives, we get them to slow down and think about their business. We ask the tough questions. They often have the answers, but are moving too quick to find them. You could say competing well in basketball or in business both require a good coach."

In addition to providing inspiration, Walton also updated the CRT members on the work he is doing with the San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI) program with CONNECT. SDSI is a business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of San Diego 's vibrant sports economy by offering innovative programs and services for start-ups, mature companies and service providers. Walton was recently named SDSI's Executive Chairman.

About Chairmen's RoundTable

The Chairmen's RoundTable is a non-profit volunteer organization comprised of 45 current and former Chief Executive Officers with extensive board of directors experience and diverse industry backgrounds. CRT mentors provide businesses in San Diego County priceless business advice and mentorship without compensation, as a way of giving back to the community. CRT's well-defined mentoring program is ideal for small to mid-sized companies at a strategic crossroads that are looking to gain an outside perspective on key business issues. To date, over 200 local companies have benefited from CRT's mentorship. For more information and to read about past client successes, please visit www.chairmensroundtable.com.

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