For additional information, contact:
Jody Lowe
(414) 322-9311
jody@lowecom.com
BAIRD ADVISORS ADDS EXPERIENCED MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TEAM
MILWAUKEE, May 19, 2015 – Baird Advisors, the institutional fixed income investment management
division of Baird, announced that it has hired a nationally-recognized municipal investment team from BMO
Global Asset Management. Municipal bond portfolio managers Duane McAllister, CFA, and Erik Schleicher
and analyst Joseph Czechowicz will join Baird. The team has more than 25 years of experience managing
municipal portfolios across the yield curve.
Said Mary Ellen Stanek, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, “Duane, Erik and Joe are great
additions to the Baird Advisors team. We have co-existed with them on a number of mutual client relationships
and have admired their work for many years. We are excited to fully integrate them and their fixed income
experience into the broader team efforts at Baird Advisors.”
Said Duane McAllister, “This is an opportunity for us to join a leading institutional fixed income investment
manager with a high quality team approach similar to our own.”
Baird Advisors continues to capture market share with a proven track record and risk controlled approach.
“Our team is well positioned in this environment to continue to grow, and the addition of the McAllister team
adds additional bench strength to help us serve existing and new clients,” said Stanek.
Baird expects to expand its municipal product offerings with additional municipal strategies. Said Stanek,
“While this is an opportunity to add to our municipal offering, we do not intend to change our existing
strategies and funds.”
McAllister has been the Co-Manager of the BMO Intermediate Tax-Free Mutual Fund, the BMO Ultra Short
Tax-Free Mutual Fund and the BMO Short Tax-Free Mutual Fund. In addition to the mutual funds, Duane
also manages separate accounts across all three of the tax-free strategies: Ultra Short, Short, and Intermediate
Tax-Free. Duane joined BMO Global Asset Management through an acquisition and began his investment
career with the predecessor firm in 2007. Previously he served in investment management positions with
Wells/Strong Capital Management, AAL Capital Management Co., and The Northern Trust Co. The BMO
Intermediate Tax-Free Mutual Fund recently received a 2015 Lipper Award based on its 10 year track in the
intermediate municipal bond category.1
Schleicher has been the co-manager of the BMO Short Tax-Free Fund and BMO Ultra-Short Tax-Free Fund
and has managed separate accounts with a short-term objective. Previously, he served as a Fixed Income
Analyst for the BMO Tax-Free Money Market Fund and the BMO Ultra Short Tax-Free Fund. Before joining
M&I Investment Management Corp., a part of BMO Global Asset Management, Erik was with US Bancorp
Funds Services as a Compliance Officer. Joseph Czechowicz began his career on the team in 2010 and
received his MBA at the University of Wisconsin’s Applied Securities 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
3,100 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird has more
than $145 billion in client assets. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked No. 5 on
FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2015 – its 12th consecutive year on the list. 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 investment banking and
private equity operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at www.rwbaird.com.
