Robert W. Baird & Co.
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Robert W. Baird & Co. is the principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baird, an international employee-owned financial services firm, and one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For.
With approximately 2,400 employees, Baird is one of the largest privately held, full-service investment firms in the United States. Baird manages and oversees $62 billion in assets.*
Baird’s principal operating subsidiary outside the U.S. is Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting its private equity operations.
(*All assets are as of December 31, 2008)
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[edit] Businesses
Baird is a wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm that serves individuals, corporations, institutional investors and municipalities as financial advisor, asset manager, investment banker and specialist in equity research, private equity and public finance. Baird’s major business units focus on:
- Private Wealth Management – Financial Advisors provide comprehensive financial advice and investment solutions. Baird Financial Advisors manage and oversee more than $44 billion in client assets.* Baird is one of Barron’s Top 100 Wealth Managers in the United States, ranking No. 25 in 2008 by assets under management for individual clients with accounts of $1 million or more.
- Asset Management – Equity and fixed-income money managers serve investors including public and private retirement plans, corporations, foundations, other institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals. In 2008, Baird Public Investment Advisors was formed specifically to advise and assist public entities. Combined, Baird Advisors, Baird Investment Management and Baird Public Investment Advisors have nearly $15 billion under management.* Baird also offers mutual funds through Baird Funds, including fixed income mutual funds managed by Baird Advisors and equity mutual funds managed by Baird Investment Management.
- Equity Capital Markets – The transatlantic investment banking team serves primarily middle-market companies and has advised on M&A transactions and corporate financings totaling $107 billion over the last ten years. Additionally, equity sales and trading professionals make Baird’s equity research available to institutional investors in North America and Europe.
- Fixed Income Capital Markets – Baird was the No. 1 underwriter in the Midwest for negotiated public finance issues under $50 million in 2008 (Source: Thomson Financial Securities Data). The fixed income sales and trading desk is active in both the primary and secondary markets for taxable and tax-exempt securities.
- Private Equity – Partnerships in the U.S., Europe and Asia leverage a global platform to help portfolio companies accelerate growth. Baird Capital Partners provides buyout capital to U.S. lower-middle-market companies in the areas of Business Services, Manufactured Products and Healthcare. Baird Venture Partners invests in early- to expansion-stage, U.S.-based companies in the areas of Business Services and Life Sciences. Operating in the United Kingdom, Baird Capital Partners Europe provides change-of-control capital to lower-middle-market companies with a particular interest in Business Services, Healthcare and Manufactured Products. Granville Baird, an affiliate of Baird Private Equity, targets middle-market growth companies in Germany. Baird Capital Partners Asia provides capital to companies with substantial operations and growth opportunities in China. Since inception, the private equity partnerships have raised and managed $2.5 billion in capital and invested in over 235 companies.
(*All assets are as of December 31, 2008)
[edit] History
Founded in 1919 as the investment arm of the First Wisconsin National Bank, Baird is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1934, the firm became an independent entity, called The Securities Company of Milwaukee, Inc. When the firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1948, it took the name of its lead partner since inception, Robert W. Baird. From 1982 to 2004, Northwestern Mutual Life owned a majority interest in Baird. In 2004, Baird became a fully independent, employee-owned financial services firm.
[edit] Industry accolades
- Recognized as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
- Named “Middle Market Investment Bank of the year” in 2008 by Buyouts magazine
- Named “Middle Market Bank of the Year” for 2006 by Investment Dealers’ Digest
- Named “Manufacturing Sector Adviser of the Year” by Acquisitions Monthly in the UK for 2008 and 2009
- Received “Deal of the Year” recognitions from The M&A Advisor (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008)
- Honored as advisor of the “Midwest Regional Deal of the Year” by The Bond Buyer in 2007
- In 2008, Baird Capital Partners was named among the top 20 “Consistent Performers” for buyout managers by Private Equity Intelligence Ltd., which analyzed performance since inception for more than 1,400 firms globally.
- Research analysts recognized repeatedly as “Best on the Street” by The Wall Street Journal (since 1993) and as StarMine “Top Equity Analysts” (since 2004)
- Financial Advisors named among the “Top 100 Financial Advisers” (2004, 2006- 2008) and the “100 Top Women Financial Advisers” (2006 - 2008) in the industry by Barron’s as well as the “Top-ranked Advisor Teams in America” by Research magazine (2005–2008), the “Top 100 Wirehouse Advisors” (2007) by Registered Rep magazine and the “Top 100 Wealth Advisors” (2007) by Worth magazine.
[edit] Senior executives
Paul E. Purcell, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
Steven G. Booth, Director of Investment Banking
Paul J. Carbone, Director of Baird Private Equity
Leslie H. Dixon, Chief Human Resources Officer
Glen F. Hackmann, General Counsel
Patrick S. Lawton, Director of Fixed Income Capital Markets
William W. Mahler, Director of Institutional Sales
Leonard M. Rush, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
Michael J. Schroeder, Director of Private Wealth Management
Russell P. Schwei, CPA, Chief Operations and Information Officer
Mary Ellen Stanek, CFA, Director of Asset Management
Robert J. Venable, CFA, Director of Research
