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Baird Private Equity is one of the only private equity firms with the breadth and depth of global experience and resources focused on smaller, high-potential companies. The Baird Private Equity team includes over 60 investment and operating professional operating in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Baird Private Equity is sector focused with deep industry knowledge and a successful track record of investing in Business Services, Manufactured Products and Healthcare Companies. Over 30 investment professionals in the United States, Europe and Asia are complemented by operating partners and senior advisors. Our dedicated team of 15 operating professionals in China and India allow us to provide our portfolio companies with unique access to Asia sales/distribution, sourcing, and manufacturing opportunities. Learn more about us below.
Baird Venture Partners is also supported by a Healthcare Advisory Board and a Business Services Advisory Board.
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Managing Partner
312-609-5498
Gordon is the Managing Partner of Baird Capital. Gordon concentrates on acquisition opportunities in the Industrial and Consumer Products sector with a particular focus in consumer and healthcare companies. Gordon serves as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for Baird's U.S. Private Equity and Venture Capital groups. Gordon also oversees Baird's Asia operations team, which provides manufacturing, sales and distribution support to portfolio companies in Asia.
Prior to joining Baird, he served as a principal with One Equity Partners. Gordon was also the founder and CEO of The Pangaea Group, an international consulting firm, which specialized in assisting the portfolio companies of private equity firms to establish strategic alliances in China.
Gordon currently serves on the Board of Directors of Backyard Leisure Holdings, Ellman International, Medical Education Technologies, Inc., NAC Marketing, Inc (New Vitality) and Baird Asia Limited.
Gordon earned a BA in Economics and Asian Studies from Colgate University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, with a concentration in Finance and Management Strategy.
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Partner
312-609-5499
Michael Liang is a partner at Baird Capital. He joined Baird Capital’s Venture Capital team in 2006 and concentrates on healthcare investments, focusing across investments in medical devices, life science tools, diagnostics, and healthcare services and healthcare IT. Prior to joining Baird Capital, Mike was a venture investor with Advent Venture Partners and before that, served in an operating role as a Director of R&D at Cortek, Inc., a spinal orthopedics company. Mike is currently a member of the board of directors of GenomeDx Biosciences, Insightra Medical, Palyon Medical, PathCentral, Inc., Veniti, Inc., and Zurex Pharma. He was previously a board member of Interlace Medical before its acquisition in 2011. Mike received a B.S. from the University of California Berkeley, a Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from Stanford University and conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
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Partner
312-609-4701
Jim joined Baird Capital's Venture Capital team in 2003 and focuses on investment opportunities in the technology-enabled services sector. Jim is currently a member of the board of directors of ClickFuel, Coalfire Systems, InsideTrack, Montage Talent, and PayChoice, and is a former Director of Pinstripe. Prior to joining Baird Capital, Jim was with Madison Dearborn Partners, where he focused on early stage venture capital investments in the communications services sector. He began his career in Salomon Smith Barney’s investment banking group, where he participated in numerous equity and fixed income financings and mergers and acquisitions. Jim is a member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and serves on the Leadership Council of The Posse Foundation. He received a BA in Economics, summa cum laude, from Duke University and an MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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Partner
312-609-4706
Benedict joined Baird Capital's Venture Capital team in 2000 and concentrates on investments in the Business Services sector, with an emphasis on information services and financial technology. Benedict is a current member of the board of directors at ALI Solutions, BrightTag, edo Interactive, Fellon McCord, High Street Partners, Sittercity, SnagAJob and StartWire. He has also worked directly with 15 other investments of Baird Capital, including Axcelerant, HireRight, NimbleGen Systems, and PayChoice. Prior to joining Baird Capital, Benedict worked for KPMG LLP in the information, communications and entertainment group within the assurance practice of the Chicago office, where he focused on the software and telecommunications sectors. He received his BBA, with a major in Accountancy, from the University of Notre Dame. Benedict is a member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, Irish Angels and Chicago Children's Museum Auxiliary Board.
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Partner
312-609-5494
Pete joined Baird Capital's Venture Capital team in 2004 and concentrates on healthcare and life science investments, focusing in medical devices, life science tools, diagnostics, and healthcare services. Prior to joining Baird Capital, he spent five years at Vector Fund Management, a life-sciences venture capital firm, investing broadly across the medical device and biotechnology fields. Prior to Vector, he spent over six years in corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions and merchant banking at JP Morgan & Co. and Banc One Capital Corporation. Pete is currently a Director of Celleration, CoAxia, Core Essence Orthpaedics and Molecular Imaging Research. He is a former Board Chairman and Director of Accuri Cytometers and a former Director of Arbor Surgical Technologies, PharMEDium Healthcare Corporation and NimbleGen Systems. Pete is the founding Chair of AdvaMed’s National Venture Capital Advisory Board and also serves on the Boards of the Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network (MHIN) and the Children's Memorial Hospital Foundation. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
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Associate
312-609-5486
Rob joined Baird Capital's Venture Capital team as an Associate in 2012. He provides analytical support to the firm’s business services and healthcare investment efforts. Prior to joining Baird Capital, Rob worked as an Analyst on the investment team at BlackRock Private Equity Partners, a global fund-of-funds business diversified across primary investments and direct co-investments. He received a B.S. in Business Administration with a double concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Dayton.
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Operating Partner
414- 298-7658
Don Layden joined Baird Capital as an Operating Partner in 2011. In this capacity Don will work with Baird's Venture Capital group to source, evaluate and oversee investment opportunities in the Business Services sector, with a particular emphasis on financial technology, business process outsourcing and healthcare services companies. Previously, Layden was President of the International Group and Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy, General Counsel and Secretary of Metavante. While there, he was instrumental in structuring the spin-off from Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (NYSE:MI) in 2007, a transaction in which Metavante became a public company. He also successfully negotiated the merger of Metavante Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:MV) into Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS) in October 2010. He serves on the boards of Firstsource Solutions, Online Resources, TxVia and Catholic Financial Life. Layden graduated from Marquette University and received his JD with honors from Marquette University Law School. Active in the Milwaukee community, Layden serves on the boards of United Way, Alverno College, Milwaukee Art Museum, Summerfest, Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, Schools That Can Milwaukee, Nativity Jesuit Middle School and Three Harbors Council of the Boy Scouts. He also serves nationally on the boards of the Consuelo Foundation and Ways to Work.
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Operating Partner
414-298-7658
Frederick Robertson joined Baird Capital as an Operating Partner in 2011. Fred will work closely with the Venture Capital life sciences team. Robertson recently retired as Chief Executive Officer and Director of TomoTherapy Inc. Prior to joining TomoTherapy, Robertson served in a variety of roles in the medical field including Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Marquette Medical Systems, and later as Chief Clinical Officer of GE Medical Systems. He also previously held management positions with Marquette Medical Systems, including President and Chief Executive Officer. Robertson received his MBA from San Diego State University and earned his MD from University of Wisconsin Medical School. He serves on the University of Wisconsin Foundation Board of Directors and the Morgridge Institute for Research Board of Trustees.
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Chief Operating Officer
312-609-4664
Scott is Chief Operating Officer for Baird Capital. Prior to joining Baird in 2005, Scott served as Chief Financial Officer for LaSalle Capital Group, a Chicago-based middle-market private equity firm. In addition, Scott has worked extensively as a service provider to private equity firms as a member of Ernst & Young's Transaction Advisory Services group. Scott's experience also includes commercial banking and audit. Scott received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
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Partner,
Portfolio Operations
312-609-4930
Rob Ospalik is a Partner with Baird Capital. He is responsible for Baird Capital's Portfolio Operations program. He joined Baird Capital in 1999 after two years in Baird’s Investment Banking Group. Rob previously served as a Certified Public Accountant at the Price Waterhouse LLP audit and business advisory services practice in St. Louis. He is a director of Pentagon Technologies Group, and graduated with a BS in Accounting from Washington University in St. Louis.
Rob also serves on the Board of Directors for the Old Town School of Folk Music.
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Partner, Investor Relations
312-609-4677
Aaron is a Partner with Baird Capital, managing Baird Capital's relationships with current and prospective investors in the United States, Europe and Asia and overseeing its business development, communication, sales and marketing activities. Aaron is also involved in broader strategic and new product development initiatives. Aaron joined Baird Capital in 2008 and has thirteen years of private equity and entrepreneurial experience. He was previously a Principal at private equity fund-of-funds manager Muller & Monroe, where he was a member of the firm’s investment team and helped manage the firm’s investor relationships. Prior to Muller & Monroe, Aaron spent time with two venture capital firms and was Director of Marketing at a venture-backed software company. Aaron began his career as a James H. Dunn Fellow in the press office of former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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Vice President,Investor Relations
312-609-5445
Nicole is a Vice President on the Investor Relations team at Baird Capital. Prior to joining Baird Capital in 2012, Nicole was a Vice President of Marketing/Investor Relations with 2100 Xenon, a Chicago based alternative investment firm, where she was responsible for the development and execution of the firm’s global institutional marketing strategies. Before 2100 Xenon, Nicole was a regional consultant in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs, and also worked as a portfolio specialist for Calamos Investments, where she communicated the firm’s investment process and strategies to institutional clients. Nicole began her career at Baxter International as a financial analyst. Nicole received a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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