Maria Watts is Co-Head of Baird's Global Consumer Group and a member of Baird’s Financial Sponsors Group. She also sits on Baird’s Investment Banking Management Committee and M&A Fairness Opinion Committee. Since joining Baird in 2009, Maria has executed numerous mergers, acquisitions and public offerings on behalf of companies and private equity clients across consumer and other sectors. She began her career as an investment banking analyst at Stephens Inc. Maria received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and graduated cum laude from Centenary College of Louisiana with a bachelor of science degree.