Baird Ranks No. 11 On Fortune’s 2010 100 Best Companies To Work For^® List

Seventh Consecutive Year Recognized

Baird, an employee-owned, international financial services firm, ranks No. 11 on FORTUNE magazine’s 2010 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For^®.  This is Baird’s seventh consecutive year on the list, a prominent annual ranking of top U.S. companies based on employee feedback and workplace attributes. Baird also ranks No. 5 among “the top ten companies where employees feel encouraged to balance their work and personal life.”

“Being recognized as a great place to work helps us attract and retain the best people, which really goes to the heart of our ability to provide our clients with the best financial advice and service,” said Paul E. Purcell, Baird Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer. “That’s why our commitment to being a great place to work is a key strategic priority. It enables us to provide the expertise and continuity that our clients really appreciate, particularly in turbulent times like those we’ve experienced recently.”

During an economic environment that challenged many companies, Baird expanded its services and capabilities, adding new talent and opening offices in new markets. Since the beginning of 2008, Baird’s total employment has increased nearly 8 percent, including the addition of more than 110 senior-level professionals (senior vice president and above) across the firm. Seventy of those professionals were added in 2009 alone. Baird’s Private Wealth Management business had a record recruiting year in 2009, adding 105 Financial Advisors, nearly double the 59 hired in 2008.

“Being recognized among the nation’s best companies is a reflection of the focus, passion and commitment Baird’s more than 2,400 associates bring to their jobs every day,” said Leslie Dixon, Baird’s Chief Human Capital Officer. “It is extremely gratifying to consistently achieve this honor based on how our associates feel about Baird, and it plays an important part in our ability to attract and retain the best talent.”

To pick the 100 Best Companies, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the Institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. Other notable companies on the 2010 list include: SAS, Edward Jones, Google, Cisco Systems and Goldman Sachs.

A Great Place to Work
Baird’s commitment to providing a great workplace starts with the firm’s culture, which incorporates the shared values of honesty, integrity and genuine care for clients and for our associates. We actively encourage associates to find a balance among work, home and the community, and provide perks such as flexible work arrangements, tuition reimbursement, and robust professional development opportunities. We are regularly honored by respected third-party organizations for our commitment to being a great place to work. Just a few examples include:

• Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility – In 2008 and 2009, Baird was recognized among the top 20% of employers nationwide in terms of flexible work programs, policies and culture.
   
• ASTD Best Award – The American Society for Training & Development recognized Baird in 2008 and 2009 as an organization that has demonstrated enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development.

Core to Baird’s culture is a commitment to the communities in which its associates live and work. This caring commitment is a tradition built through the efforts of the firm, the Baird Foundation and the community involvement of Baird associates. As evidence of this commitment, Baird associates achieved a record-setting level of contribution in the 2009 United Way of Greater Milwaukee campaign, with more than 98 percent of associates in the metro Milwaukee area contributing. Additionally, 92 percent of Baird’s area associates donated to the United Performing Arts Fund in 2009. To recognize the generosity and commitment of Baird associates, the United Performing Arts Fund created the Robert W. Baird Outstanding Achievement in Employee Giving Award in 2005.

Baird’s firmwide Charitable Gift Matching Program provides a match for associates’ financial contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations. Associates also receive an additional paid day off each year to perform volunteer service through the “Baird Cares” program.

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 2,400 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of more than $73 billion. 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 private equity operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at www.rwbaird.com.