Water Taxi Principal and CEO Bill Walker joins FERRIES 2019 speaker line up
Written by Nick Blenkey
Bill Walker, Principal and CEO of Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale
Bill Walker, Principal and CEO of Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale will be among the leading vessel operators who will be speaking at Marine Log’s upcoming FERRIES 2019 conference, which this year is being held November 5 & 6 at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Walker’s topic will be “Increasing Water Taxi Ridership.”
Walker has a proven track record in the marine industry — and in the ferry and passenger vessel sector in particular. Since acquiring Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale in 2007, he and his 150 employees have built it into the signature service in the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood area as a tourist destination and private transportation system. He has implemented growth in the business through marketing and partnerships with local businesses and government. Some examples are providing direct transportation to relieve traffic and enhance the guest experience for events such as the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.
His prior experience includes being Principal/President at Boston’s Best Cruises where he developed a system that included the first high speed bow loading catamarans to be completely ADA accessible. This includes floating docks and terminals along with a 1,000 car parking lot. Hired and trained 60 full time employees who transported over 400,000 commuters per year for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Port Authority.
He has a B.S. in Marine Transportation from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and has served as Vice President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy Foundation. Early in his career he served as an officer on deep sea ships,sailing as second and third mate.
He is a prominent member of the Fort Lauderdale maritime and business community and is a board member of both the Marine Advisory Board of Fort Lauderdale and the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.
For more information on FERRIES 2019, click HERE
