Richard Walker to help monitor Monitronics M&A possibilities Brings acquisition experience from IHS
By Spencer Ives
Updated Mon April 20, 2015
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Ascent Capital Group, Monitronics' parent company based here, has appointed Richard G. Walker as executive vice president of strategy and corporate development.
The company is always “actively monitoring” acquisition possibilities, Walker told Security Systems News. He and “a small team will be driving the M&A activities of [Ascent],” he said, focusing on “adjacent opportunities, emerging opportunities and [opportunities in] the security monitoring/home automation category.”
Monitronics recently acquired DIY security company LiveWatch.
Walker said he was drawn to Ascent for a number of reasons. “[I] saw a company that had that wonderful combination of a great culture, a great business, a great business model, and a very interesting industry that is at the forefront of some very exciting developments,” he said.
Walker started on April 20, after Ascent SVP John Orr left his position.
Previously, Walker worked with IHS in a variety of executive positions, including CFO and chief strategy officer. Walker started with IHS in December 2006 and oversaw acquisitions with the company, “Over the course of my career [at IHS] … we did nearly 60 acquisitions.”
Ascent and Dallas-based Monitronics have an open communication channel. “The separation between the businesses is probably more of a geographic one than in reality—we work very closely with them,” he said.
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