Qualcomm, Retired
- BS, Harvey Mudd, Engineering
- MS, MIT, Aeronautics and Astronautics
Walt has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Harvey Mudd and an Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He began his professional career with the emergence of the minicomputer. As a founder of San Diego-based Megatek Corporation, he conceived and led pioneering development of the company’s computer graphics systems. With the sale of Megatek in 1981, he began to explore opportunities in the rapidly developing relational database community, ultimately founding ACCEL Technologies to design and market a computer peripheral that significantly enhanced the performance of relational databases. ACCEL ultimately found more opportunity in the development and sale of PC-based electronic design automation tools, i.e., schematic capture, PCB design, and autorouting.
After selling ACCEL in 2000, Foley found the opportunity to “retire” into enjoying his passion for flight, first as a corporate pilot for Northrop, and later as an international captain and founding member of the Qualcomm flight department in 2004. He is still active as a corporate pilot and flies his Bonanza A-36 in support of personal and consulting travel.
Foley and his wife, Percsilla, live in Del Mar and are parents of two children and five grandchildren. He is active in the San Diego tech community and a member of Tech San Diego. Ask him about his passion and he will talk flying for hours.