Baird
Baird is a privately held, employee-owned diversified financial services firm offering private wealth management ($375B+ AUM), investment banking, institutional equities, asset management, fixed income capital markets, and private equity to high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and corporate clients across 200+ U.S. and European locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Baird does
Baird, operating as Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, is a privately held, employee-owned diversified financial services firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and founded in 1919. With more than 200 locations across the United States and Europe and approximately 5,001–10,000 employees, Baird runs an integrated platform organized around seven core business lines: Private Wealth Management (overseeing $375B+ in client assets as of December 31, 2025), Baird Trust, Asset Management (fixed income and equity portfolios via Baird Advisors and Baird Equity Asset Management), Global Investment Banking (540+ banking associates providing M&A, debt advisory, and capital markets services), Global Equities (research, sales, trading and corporate access covering 710+ publicly traded companies), Fixed Income Capital Markets, and Baird Capital (growth equity and buyout investing in U.S. and U.K. B2B technology companies). Underlying technology consists of proprietary wealth management platforms, trading systems, and equity research infrastructure rather than disclosed AI/ML systems.
Baird makes money through a mix of recurring fee streams and transaction-based revenue. The primary model is recurring: wealth management advisory fees on $375B+ in client AUM and asset management fees on fixed income and equity portfolios, both functioning as subscription/recurring revenue. This is complemented by transaction-fee revenue from investment banking advisory (M&A, capital markets underwriting), institutional equity sales and trading commissions, and fixed income sales/trading and public finance underwriting. Corporate clients, institutional investors, and high-net-worth individuals and families are served through enterprise field sales — direct relationship coverage via 200+ office locations and sector-focused banking coverage teams. Approximately 80% of associates are shareholders, making the firm one of the largest employee-owned financial services companies in the U.S.
The firm's distribution is built on physical proximity to clients, sector-specialized investment banking and research coverage, and a brand reinforced by 23 consecutive years on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Recent 2026 transaction activity — bookrunner role on ITG, Inc.'s IPO (~$400M), debt advisory on a $150M facility for Hanna Andersson, and HNW pipeline targeting SpaceX employees — illustrates active use of the cross-platform model in which investment banking execution, institutional research, and private wealth distribution are deployed jointly. As a private firm, Baird does not publicly disclose revenue, funding, or valuation.
Baird firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Baird
- Legal name
- Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated
- Website
- https://bairdcareers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Baird is a privately held, employee-owned diversified financial services firm offering private wealth management ($375B+ AUM), investment banking, institutional equities, asset management, fixed income capital markets, and private equity to high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and corporate clients across 200+ U.S. and European locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Baird industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management and Investment Banking
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB), Full-Service Brokerage (Wirehouse/Universal) (FSAEACAA), Affluent / Mass-Affluent Private Banking (FSABADAC), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)
Keywords
Where Baird is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Baird business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wealth Management Fees: Revenue from advisory and management fees charged to private wealth management clients including high-net-worth individuals and families
- Investment Banking Advisory: Fees from M&A advisory, capital markets transactions, and financing services for corporate clients
- Institutional Equities: Revenue from equity research, sales, trading, and corporate access services for institutional investors
- Asset Management: Fees from managing fixed income and equity portfolios for institutional and individual investors
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Baird product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Baird is a privately held, employee-owned financial services firm offering private wealth management, asset management, global investment banking advisory, institutional equity research and trading, fixed income capital markets, and private equity/venture capital. Its Private Wealth Management business oversees more than $375 billion in client assets, while Global Equities covers over 710 publicly traded companies. Services are delivered through interconnected business units serving individual, institutional, and corporate clients across 200+ locations in the United States and Europe.
Product overview
Baird is a financial services firm offering a comprehensive suite of wealth management, investment banking, and capital markets services. The company operates as a platform of interconnected business units: Private Wealth Management and Baird Trust serve individual and family clients with financial planning, trust, and investment management; Asset Management provides institutional-grade fixed income and equity solutions; Global Investment Banking and Global Equities deliver advisory, M&A, and equity research services; Fixed Income Capital Markets offers trading and public finance capabilities; and Baird Capital manages private equity and venture investments. Corporate support functions enable the entire platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Wealth Management
Quantifiable outcome
- Baird Private Wealth Management oversees $375+ billion in client assets
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Baird
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Baird technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Baird partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Baird competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Raymond James Financial: Public diversified financial services firm with parallel business mix across Private Client Group (wealth management), Investment Banking, Asset Management, and Fixed Income—offering the closest publicly traded comparable to Baird's platform structure.
- Stifel Financial: Mid-market focused wealth management and investment bank with Global Wealth, Institutional Group, and Stifel Bancorp units—overlapping Baird in advisor-led wealth management, ECM, and fixed income capital markets.
- Edward Jones: Private partnership model wealth management firm with branch-based advisor network serving affluent and HNW clients—shares Baird's employee-owned culture and decentralized advisor-led distribution model.
- Piper Sandler Companies: Public diversified financial services firm with comparable mid-market Investment Banking advisory and wealth management franchises; similar size and sector focus to Baird's Global IB and PWM units.
- William Blair: Private partnership-based investment and wealth management firm—mirrors Baird's private partnership structure, mid-market IB franchise, and institutional asset management business.
- Jefferies Financial Group: Diversified financial services holding company combining investment banking, equities/fixed income trading, and asset management—comparable to Baird's Global IB, Global Equities, and Fixed Income Capital Markets franchises.
- LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer and RIA custodian in the U.S., providing wealth management platform services—competes with Baird's PWM platform for advisor recruitment and serves a similar HNW/affluent client base.
- Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services firm with advisor-led wealth management, asset management, and retirement/insurance solutions—competes with Baird across PWM, asset management, and trust services.
Broad incumbents
- RBC Wealth Management (U.S.): U.S. wealth management arm of Royal Bank of Canada serving HNW/UHNW clients with advisor-led model—competes directly with Baird's PWM franchise as part of a larger global banking parent's broader portfolio.
Others
- Robert Half International: While a staffing firm, Robert Half is another large Milwaukee-headquartered employee-owned private firm; useful as a peer for employee-ownership/governance benchmarking but not for financial services product overlap.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Baird social profiles
Digital presenceBaird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Baird leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Baird funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Baird M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Baird
What does Baird do?
Baird is a privately held, employee-owned financial services firm offering private wealth management, asset management, global investment banking advisory, institutional equity research and trading, fixed income capital markets, and private equity/venture capital. Its Private Wealth Management business oversees more than $375 billion in client assets, while Global Equities covers over 710 publicly traded companies. Services are delivered through interconnected business units serving individual, institutional, and corporate clients across 200+ locations in the United States and Europe.
Is Baird a public or private company?
Baird is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Baird founded?
Baird was founded in 1919. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Baird based?
Baird is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Baird make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wealth Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are investment Banking Advisory, institutional Equities and asset Management.
Who are Baird's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Raymond James Financial, Stifel Financial, Edward Jones, Piper Sandler Companies, William Blair, Jefferies Financial Group, LPL Financial and Ameriprise Financial. RBC Wealth Management (U.S.) is listed as a broad incumbent. Robert Half International is listed as an others.
Does Baird have an API?
No public API is recorded for Baird.
What industry is Baird in?
Baird's product category is Wealth Management and Investment Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAC, Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAHADAB, Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.