Jim Conniff Set to Join Baird Investment Banking as Managing Director, Further Strengthen Industrial Practice

Baird, an employee-owned, international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, today announced that Jim Conniff is set to join the firm’s Investment Banking Industrial team as a Managing Director, focusing on coverage of large, diversified Industrial companies. With 20 years of investment banking experience, Conniff will further strengthen Baird’s existing Industrial practice, working alongside the firm’s other senior sector bankers to enhance overall idea flow to and service of large companies that operate across multiple industries. He will be based in the firm’s Chicago office.

Jim returns to Baird from Goldman Sachs where he was a senior member of Goldman Sach’s Industrial Banking team. Prior to his nearly seven years at Goldman Sachs, Jim was a Director in Baird’s Industrial Investment Banking team, where he supported origination, execution and idea generation for M&A and capital raising assignments. Jim holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“We are very pleased that Jim has decided to return to Baird to continue his career,” said Paul Rogalski, Head of Baird’s Consumer and Industrial Investment Banking teams. “He has extensive experience with and knowledge of the Industrial space – particularly with large, diversified Midwestern companies. We are excited for and confident of the contributions he will make to the team as he works alongside our existing Industrial bankers.”

Steve Booth, Director of Baird’s Investment Banking group added: “Baird’s senior sector bankers have very deep expertise, which consistently enables us to give our clients the best advice. Adding Jim in this role will enable Baird to better coordinate and share that sector expertise with companies that cover a diverse range of industries. And because our business operates on a single P&L, we are structured to bring that extensive sector knowledge to our clients in the most integrated fashion.”

Jim’s appointment represents Baird’s continued emphasis on investing in the growth of its global M&A platform. In recent months, the firm has added several senior level bankers, including Chris Harned in Milwaukee,Paul Bail and Jonathan Bourn in London, Jason Abt and Owen Hart in San Francisco, Jim Hemmer and Rob Rosenfeld in Chicago and David Schechner in Boston. These and other investments in talent and capabilities have paid significant returns as Baird’s Investment Banking department posted record revenues in 2011, 42% higher than the firm’s previous record set in 2007.

About Baird Investment Banking
Recognized as the 2011 “Investment Banking Firm of the Year” by The M&A Advisor, Baird is a leading global investment bank focused on the middle market. Approximately 200 investment banking professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia provide corporations, private equity and venture capital firms with in-depth market knowledge and extensive experience in merger and acquisition and equity financing transactions. Since 2007, Baird has advised on more than 230 M&A transactions representing $43 billion in transaction value and has served as lead or co-manager on 250 equity offerings raising more than $76 billion. Baird has received “Deal of the Year” recognitions from The M&A Advisor for seven years running, demonstrating commitment to attaining great outcomes for clients.

About Baird
Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 2,700 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird has nearly $97 billion in client assets. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked No. 21 on FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2012 – its ninth consecutive year on the list. Baird’s principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Baird’s investment banking and private equity operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at rwbaird.com.