Alumnus who founded online ad firm Right Media and sold it to Yahoo! for $720 million to speak at University of Richmond

April 1, 2008

Michael Walrath, the 1997 University of Richmond alumnus who founded and sold Internet advertising firm Right Media to Yahoo! for $720 million, will receive the Robins School of Business' Executive of the Year award April 8.

Walrath will address the Robins School's faculty, staff and students during the annual Honors Convocation at 11 a.m. in Camp Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required by telephone at (804) 289-8813 or e-mail to lduke@richmond.edu.

Walrath says that when he graduated from Richmond, he had no specific career direction, but pursuing his interest in the Internet led to starting Right Media in 2003. He remains senior vice president of the company, recently ranked No. 43 on Inc. magazine's list of fastest-growing private American companies. Walrath was named 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.