Educated at Caulfield Grammar School and La Trobe University, Walsh worked as a journalist for the Border Mail, Herald Sun, The Age and Australian Financial Review before serving as an advisor to Australian Labor Party politicians Bob Hawke and Paul Keating during their terms as Prime Minister of Australia.
He became a diplomat, working for the International Labour Organization in the United Nations Office at Geneva and later as the Australia Consul-General to Hong Kong.
He worked as the National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party from 2000 to 2003 overseeing the 2001 federal election campaign.
[2] Walsh was appointed Chief of Staff to Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks in September 2006.
[4] He currently serves as the founding Executive Chairman of the Melbourne based York Park Group.