David B. Walls
President & CEO, Austin Industries
David B. Walls is president and chief executive officer of Austin Industries, a diverse construction company owned 100 percent by its employees. Mr. Walls began his career with Austin in 1980 where he advanced to become of the premier field project managers before being named vice president and director of operations in 1988. He has served as president of Austin Commercial and president of Austin Bridge & Road in addition to his current CEO position.
Early in his career, he was involved in a project where a young man was killed in a construction accident. The tragic event was a defining moment and a great awakening for the importance of worker safety and how the influence of leadership in the construction industry can prevent fatalities.
Mr. Walls has completed extensive research to identify leadership qualities and safety processes that organizations use to affect safety performance, as well as universal leadership qualities that make any organization successful.
Mr. Walls holds a B.S. in Construction Technology from the University of Houston, an M.S. in Building Construction from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Leadership from Dallas Baptist University.
