Mary Ellen Stanek, CFA, has more than 40 years of investment management experience. She serves as Managing Director of Robert W. Baird & Co. and Founder, Chief Investment Officer Emeritus of Baird Advisors responsible for over $150 billion in assets under management. Additionally, she serves as President of the Baird Funds, and previously was President and CEO of Firstar Investment Research & Management Company.
In 2022, Mary Ellen was named Morningstar’s Outstanding Portfolio Manager, one of the 2022 U.S. Morningstar Awards for Investing Excellence. She was named a finalist for the award in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Under her leadership, Baird was a finalist in 2022 and 2023 for Morningstar’s Exemplary Stewardship Award and in 2021 ranked #1 out of 150 mutual fund families by Morningstar. Baird has been recognized multiple times as a “Best Place to Work in Money Management” by Pensions & Investments (P&I). In 2020 and 2021 she was named to Barron’s list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance. In 2023 she was named to P&I’s inaugural list of the Most Influential Women in Institutional Investing.
Mary Ellen serves on the boards of Baird Financial Group and WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC).
She serves on the boards of All-In Milwaukee, Boys and Girls Clubs (past Board Chair), Children’s Hospital Foundation, Faith In Our Future Trust, Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Greater Milwaukee Committee (past Chair), Greater Milwaukee Foundation (Chair) and Milwaukee World Festival (Chair). She served on the Board of Northwestern Mutual, The Medical College of Wisconsin (past Board Chair) and Marquette University where she chaired the Board and was elected Trustee Emerita. She has co-chaired numerous Capital Campaigns including co-chairing with her husband Scott, Marquette’s Time to Rise campaign, raising over $800 million.
She received her undergraduate degree from Marquette University (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and her graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1983.
Mary Ellen and her husband, Scott, have three children: Peter (Erin), Katie, and Patrick (Katie) and five grandchildren: Emme, Abigail, Kathryn, Henry and Riley.