Vice President of Global Sales, Restek Corporation
Karnel Walker is a global commercial and business leader with over 25 years of experience across the life and applied sciences, including environmental, food safety, biopharmaceutical, and petrochemical markets. His career spans progressively senior leadership roles with full commercial and P&L responsibility, driving growth across analytical instrumentation and drug development services.
Karnel has recently accepted the role of Vice President of Global Sales at Restek Corporation, where he will lead global commercial strategy and execution across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. In this role, he is focused on accelerating revenue growth, expanding strategic partnerships, and strengthening market presence across a diverse portfolio of analytical solutions. Prior to joining Restek, Karnel served as Executive Director and General Partner in Biopharma Clinical Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific. There, he led enterprise partnerships that enabled both emerging biotech and large pharmaceutical companies to advance clinical development and commercialization outcomes. His leadership has consistently centered on connecting capabilities across research, development, and manufacturing to deliver integrated, customer-centric solutions. Karnel began his career as an analytical chemist after earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and was previously a member of the American Chemical Society. This technical foundation continues to inform his leadership approach, enabling him to bridge scientific innovation with commercial strategy.
A passionate advocate for STEM education and workforce development, Karnel is deeply committed to expanding access and opportunity for the next generation. As Board Chair of Students 2 Science, he plays a key role in advancing the organization’s mission, growth, and long-term impact.
















