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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 professionals operating in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Baird Private Equity is sector-focused with deep industry knowledge and a successful 20-year 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 over 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 Capital Partners is also supported by a Business Services Advisory Board and a Manufactured Products Advisory Board.
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Director
312-609-4911
Paul Carbone is Director of the Private Equity Group for Robert W. Baird & Co. Baird Private Equity makes venture capital, growth equity and buyout investments in smaller, high potential companies in the US, Europe and Asia. Paul chairs each of Baird Private Equity’s fund businesses. Since 1999, Paul also has served as Managing Partner and Chairman of the Investment Committee for Baird Capital Partners and Baird Venture Partners. Prior to 1999, Paul was Co-Director of Investment Banking responsible for Baird's mergers and acquisitions advisory practice. Prior to joining Baird in 1994, Paul was a Senior Vice President in the Investment Banking Group at Kidder, Peabody & Co. Paul is a member of the board of directors of Baird Financial Corporation, Robert W. Baird Group Limited, Baird Capital Partners Europe, Baird Asia Limited, the Illinois Venture Capital Association, and the Wisconsin Technology Council. Paul also is on the board of directors of several civic, cultural and charitable organizations including the Lyric Opera of Chicago (Executive Committee and Treasurer), and the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (Co-Chairman).
He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of The College of the University of Chicago and a member of its Visiting Committee. Paul received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
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Partner
312-609-4702
Andrew Brickman focuses on acquisition opportunities in the manufactured products sector focusing specifically on industrial and commercial companies. Prior to joining Baird Capital Partners in 1998, Andrew served as Vice President of Operations and Manufacturing for a regional retail chain. Andrew's operations background is complemented by considerable financial investment experience at a number of private equity investment firms. He is a director of The Mayline Group and MedPlast Holdings, Inc. Andrew received his BA from Middlebury College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, with highest honors.
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Partner
414-765-3818
Randy is a Partner with Baird Capital Partners focused on investments in the Business Services and Healthcare Services sectors.
As an investment partner with Baird Capital Partners, Randy has led several investments in the Business Services and Healthcare Services areas. He is currently a board member of MedData Corporation, Accume Partners, and American Auto Auction Group.
Prior to joining BCP, Randy was Managing Director in the Equity Research department at Robert W. Baird & Co. He covered several companies in the areas of outsourcing and professional services, and was ranked highly for thought leadership by various surveys and publications, including Bloomberg, Institutional Investor, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. He was also named to the Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" list in 2006. Prior to joining Baird, he was a Senior consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), with the Financial Services and Aerospace & Defense Groups.
Randy holds an MBA, with Honors, from the University of Chicago, and is a Chair Scholar graduate of Bowling Green State University. Randy is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society.
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Partner
312-609-5498
Gordon concentrates on acquisition opportunities in the manufactured products sector with a particular focus in consumer and healthcare companies. Gordon also oversees Baird Asia Limited, an operating company headquartered in Hong Kong which provides operations, sales and distribution support to portfolio companies in China.
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
414-765-7348
Dave focuses on acquisitions and late-stage growth investments in the Business Services sector. He joined Baird Capital Partners in 1994 as a Partner and has led several investments. Dave has served as a member of the Boards of Directors of 18 BCP portfolio companies, including his current directorships at Accume Partners and Flatirons Solutions.
Prior to Baird, Dave spent nine years making mezzanine and equity investments as a Partner at Fiduciary Capital and as an Investment Officer at Northwestern Mutual.
Dave holds a BA and MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
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Principal
312-609-5495
Tom Costello is a Principal on the Business Services team of Baird Capital Partners. Prior to joining Baird in 2007, Tom spent four years with Chicago Growth Partners, a private equity firm in Chicago, where he sourced, evaluated and structured business service transactions in the middle market. Before Chicago Growth Partners, he spent two years as an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers Inc. in Chicago. Tom received a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
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Principal
312-609-4661
Aaron Lillybridge focuses on investment opportunities with a particular focus on healthcare companies. Prior to joining Baird in 2005, Aaron was with Galen Partners, a healthcare focused private equity firm in New York. Before Galen, Aaron was with the investment banking group at Piper Jaffray, completing numerous equity financings and merger and acquisition transactions in the medical device space. He received a BA from the University of Washington and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Aaron is a member of the Board of Directors of Ellman International, Inc. and is actively involved with other Baird Capital Partners portfolio companies, including New Vitality, PharMedium Healthcare and METI (Medical Education Technologies Incorporated). Aaron is also an officer of the Healthcare Private Equity Association (HCPEA) and the Illinois Venture Capital Association (IVCA).
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Vice President
312-609-4671
Gordon focuses on investment opportunities in the Manufactured Products sector. Prior to joining BCP in 2008, Gordon was a Principal with Reliant Equity Investors focused on buyouts in the lower middle-market. Before Reliant, Gordon was with Wind Point Partners, a Chicago based middle-market private equity firm, and divine, Inc., a publicly traded internet incubator. Gordon started his career with Merrill Lynch in their investment banking group. Gordon currently serves on the Board of Directors of Qualitor Incorporated, the ACG Chicago chapter and is a founding Board Member of the The Association of Asian American Investment Managers (AAAIM).
Gordon received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, graduating with Highest Honors and as a recipient of the Bronze Tablet. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Toigo Fellow.
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Director of Portfolio Management
312-609-4930
Rob Ospalik is a Partner with Baird Private Equity. He is responsible for Baird Private Equity's Portfolio Management Program. He joined Baird Private Equity 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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Vice President, Portfolio Management
312-609-5423
Roberto Ferranti is a member of Baird Private Equity’s U.S. Portfolio Management Program and focuses on driving strategies to build value in Baird Capital Partners’ portfolio companies. Prior to joining Baird Private Equity, Roberto was a Vice President in the Corporate Recovery Group of Mesirow Financial Consulting, where he focused on identifying and implementing operational improvements initiatives for companies in a variety of industries. Prior to that Roberto served as a Manager in the Private Equity group of Kurt Salmon Associates, and as a Vice President in the Performance Improvement group at AlixPartners. A native of Italy, Roberto is fluent in English, Italian and French. Roberto graduated with a BA in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy and received an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
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Chief Administrative Officer
312-609-4664
Scott is Chief Administrative Officer for Baird Capital Partners and Baird Venture Partners. 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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Director of Investor Relations & Business Development
312-609-4677
Aaron manages Baird Private Equity’s relationships with current and prospective investors in the United States, Europe and Asia and oversees its business development, communication, sales and marketing activities. Aaron is also involved in broader strategic and new product development initiatives. Aaron joined Baird Private Equity 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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Associate
312-609-5491
Alex focuses on investment opportunities in the Business Services and Manufactured Products sectors. Prior to joining BCP in 2011, Alex was a Senior Associate with Willis Stein & Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on buyouts in the business services, consumer services, education and manufactured products sectors. Before Willis Stein, Alex was with Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in the technology, media and telecom investment banking group. Alex was also a co-founder of Lincoln Renewable Energy, a successful renewable energy development platform.
Alex is actively involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Chicago and serves on the NorthShore University HealthSystem Associate Board. Alex received a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, graduating with Distinction and an MBA with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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Analyst
312-609-4673
Joe Green is an Analyst on the Manufactured Products team at Baird Capital Partners. Prior to joining Baird, Joe was an investment banking analyst with Lincoln International in Chicago. His responsibilities at Lincoln included industry and company research, detailed financial analysis, preparation of marketing documents, due diligence, and analyst recruiting. Joe graduated cum laude from Washington & Lee University with a BSC in Accounting and Business Administration.
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Analyst
312-609-4690
James Lowe joined Baird Capital Partners in 2011 as a member of the Manufactured Products team. Prior to joining BCP, James was an investment banking analyst with JPMorgan Securities Inc., focusing on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity for industrial and natural resources clients. His responsibilities included detailed financial analysis and valuation, deal execution, preparation of marketing documents, due diligence and industry and company research. James graduated summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a concentration in Finance.
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Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Tom joined Baird Capital Partners as an Operating Partner with more than 30 years experience in healthcare products and services. Tom is the CEO of NeuroSource where he is responsible for NeuroSource vision, strategic direction and financial performance. Founded in 1997, NeuroSource is the nation's only health care company focused exclusively on the business of neuroscience and allied specialties.
Previously, Tom was Senior Vice President, CFO and Director for Caremark International where he helped build the organization from its inception into a $3.2 billion provider of health services.
Before the Caremark spinoff, Tom spent nearly 20 years at Baxter International in a variety of financial and operating positions. He has also served as a director for Apache Medical Systems, CallConnect and PharMEDium Healthcare.
Tom received his bachelor's degree in Business and Economics from Lehigh University and earned his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
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Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Irwin Pfister is a private investor and an Operating Partner with Baird Capital Partners. He retired from Schlumberger in 2005. During his 19-year tenure at Schlumberger, Irwin served as Executive Vice President of Schlumberger and Chief Executive Officer of SchlumbergerSema, where he was responsible for all of the technology businesses of Schlumberger, a business group with over $4 billion in revenue and over 30,000 employees in 130 countries. Irwin also served as President of Schlumberger Test & Transactions, which provided test, metrology and diagnostic equipment to the semiconductor industry; the company was subsequently acquired by Credence Systems (NASDAQ: CMOS). Irwin also expanded Schlumberger operations to include Smart Cards, broadband network security consulting and systems design, business process consulting, system integration and process outsourcing. Prior to Schlumberger, Irwin served in senior management roles with Computer Automation, Electronic Associates and Computer Science Corp. He has served as the Chairman of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Veeco Instruments (NASDAQ: VECO), Circuit Check and Pentagon Technologies Irwin received his BS degree in applied mathematics from California State University in Los Angeles.
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Analyst
312-609-4741
Sean Wieland joined Baird Capital Partners in 2010 as a member of the Business Services team. Prior to joining BCP, Sean was an analyst in Baird’s investment banking department in Chicago, focusing on Business Services mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings. His responsibilities included detailed financial and valuation analysis, preparation of marketing documents, due diligence, industry and company research and analyst recruiting. Sean graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, earning a BBA in Finance.
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Operating Partner & Advisory Board Chairman
312-609-5497
Jim is Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baird Venture Partners and a member of the Advisory Board of Baird Capital Partners. He is also an Operating Partner for Baird Private Equity.
Jim retired in 2003 as co-founder and Managing Partner of Marquette Venture Partners. He has been involved in the venture capital industry for twenty-five years.
His venture capital career began in 1980 at First Chicago Venture Capital (the principals of which later formed Madison Dearborn Partners), one of the largest and most active private equity investors in the industry, and later as a founding general partner of Wind Point Partners, a Midwest-based private equity fund.
Jim has been active in the formation, financing and development of early stage companies; the expansion financing and redirection of later stage companies; and the leveraged acquisition of existing businesses. He is Managing Partner of Redfish Partners, L.P., a venture investment and consulting company. Jim is former Chairman of Marshall Erdman & Associates, Inc., a former Director of PharMEDium Healthcare Corporation and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and earned a MBA degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
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Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Bob Dods is a member of the Board of Directors of Baird Asia Limited. He served as RC2 Corporation's (NASDAQ: RCRC) Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board from April 1996 through December 2002. Bob continues to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of RC2. He co-founded Racing Champions, Inc. ("RCI"), RC2's predecessor, along with Peter Chung and Boyd Meyer in 1989. Prior to founding RCI, Bob and Boyd Meyer owned and operated Dods-Meyer, Ltd., a manufacturers' representative agency that focused on selling products to mass merchants. He began doing business in Asia in the late 1970s. Bob is a non-executive Chairman of Hygenic Corp, director of Qualitor and director of Advanced Equities.
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Operating Partner
+852 2827 8822
Peter joined BPE in 2003 as an operating partner working with portfolio companies to develop distribution and sourcing strategies in Asia. Peter oversees BAL from the China perspective. Peter served as President of Racing Champions Limited (“RCL”) from 1996 through 2003, the Hong Kong-based subsidiary of RC2 Corporation (NASDAQ: RCRC). Peter formed RCL's predecessor in 1989 to handle the overseas operating activities of RC2’s Asian manufacturing requirements. Prior to 1989, Peter founded and operated Deles International Ltd., a manufacturer and marketer of consumer products exported to the U.S., Japan and Europe.
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Executive-in-Residence & Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Mohan is an Executive-In-Residence with Baird Venture Partners’ business services team and an Operating Partner with Baird Capital Partners. Mohan works with the team to source and evaluate new investment opportunities and contribute value-added operating experience to portfolio companies. Prior to joining Baird Private Equity, Mohan worked at Apple as a Vice President reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, where he led a team focused on establishing offshore operations in India and Eastern Europe. Prior to Apple, Mohan was Vice President and Managing Director of Dell International Services, where he was responsible for establishing and rapidly scaling Dell’s India operations. Within a two-year period, Mohan launched and grew Dell’s India operation to over 6,400 employees in three cities and four campuses. He also previously served as Vice President of Customer Experience for Dell’s Americas business unit, and held high-level, executive roles at Cummins Engine, Honeywell and Xerox. Mohan earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.
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Dugald K. Campbell
Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Dug Campbell is an Operating Partner of Baird Capital Partners. Prior to joining Baird in 2005, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Tower Automotive from 1993 through 2005, where he grew the business to a $2.8 billion revenue enterprise from $60 million in 1993. Prior to Tower, Dug served as Vice President and General Manager of the Sensor Systems Division of Siemens Automotive, a manufacturer of engine management systems and components. From 1972 to 1988, he held various executive, engineering and marketing positions with Allied Automotive, a manufacturer of vehicle systems and components and a subsidiary of Allied Signal Dug is a member of the Board of Directors of J.L. French Automotive Castings and MTS Systems Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Engineering degree from the University of Western Ontario.
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Operating Partner
312-609-4600
Harry D. Schulman joined Baird Capital Partners as an Operating Partner with more than 30 years experience in consumer products, including 20 years of Asian sourcing and manufacturing experience. Harry was previously President and CEO of Applica, a then publicly traded company that markets and distributes a wide range of small appliances for use in and outside the home. Applica markets products under licensed brand names such as Black & Decker®, company-owned brand names such as LittermaidTM, a product targeting the pet industry, Belson Professional®, leading personal care products, and private label brand names. Upon becoming Chairman and CEO, Harry increased shareholder value by over 100% within 2 years, and eventually executed an industry consolidation strategy which resulted in the sale of the company to a major private equity firm at 18 times EBITDA. Harry brings extensive operations, consumer product and Asian manufacturing experience to the Baird portfolio. Harry received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from University of Dayton and earned his MBA from the University of Miami.
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A.J. Wasserstein
Operating Partner
800-799-5770
A.J. joins BCP as an Operating Partner with 20 years experience in business services, specifically the facilities/rental services area. Wasserstein is the founder and former President and CEO of ArchivesOne, a pan-regional full service records management company that he grew to become the third largest provider of records and information management in the U.S. before selling the company to Iron Mountain. Backed by private equity at ArchivesOne, Wasserstein executed a consolidation strategy that included over 30 acquisitions. Wasserstein graduated from Colgate University and received his MBA from New York University. He has also completed the Owner President Managed executive education program at Harvard Business School. The Hartford County Business Journal and New Haven Business Times have both selected Mr. Wasserstein as an award winner in their respective “Forty Under 40” programs. The U.S. Small Business Administration named Mr. Wasserstein the 2000 Small Business Person of the Year in Connecticut.
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Operating Partner
312-609-4700
Jamie Bellanca joined Baird Private Equity as an Operating Partner in 2010. In this capacity, Bellanca provides guidance on technology strategy and development, operational refinement and investment evaluation in the Business Services sector. Prior to Baird Private Equity, Bellanca was the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Cleversafe, where he led the technology vision, built the patent program and drove the architecture and development of their global storage platform. Bellanca was previously a regional principal/national director at Lante Corporation, a publicly-held software and technology consultancy. Lante purchased his award-winning internet design and development company ingenious, inc. in 1999. Bellanca has led numerous successful technology product teams, receiving accolades including a 2008 Wall Street Journal technology innovation award (software), a Business Week Chicago Innovations Award, a Storage Visions Award, and a Webby Award. Bellanca holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is based in Chicago.
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