The Women Associate Resource Group (ARG) is a group of Baird associates dedicated to making Baird the employer of choice for women in the financial services industry. The ARG offers several professional development programs and networking opportunities to Baird associates, and, alongside the firm’s business leaders, helps support Baird’s recruiting, retention and business development goals.

"Women at Baird"
The Women at Baird event is the ARG’s marquee annual professional development and networking event. The highly anticipated and attended event brings together hundreds of Baird associates each year, including the firm’s senior leadership, and provides participants the chance to connect with fellow colleagues, learn from experts and grow personally and professionally. Each year the event focuses on a different theme, such as effective communication and developing the leader within.

The 2012 event focused on taking the right risks. Highlights of the 2012 event included a town hall discussion with Paul Purcell, Baird Chairman, President & CEO; numerous development sessions showing how to take control of and define your career; and a keynote speech by Nan Gardetto, founder and CEO of Baptista’s Bakery and creator of Gardetto’s Snack Mix.

Other successes

• Networking groups – kept small, these groups foster closer connections among women across Baird 
   
• Professional development sessions – hosted regularly, recent topics have included the unspoken rules of the workplace, the art of negotiation and making the most of performance reviews, among others. 
   
• Continually engaging Baird associates and challenging them personally and professionally.