Baird Appoints MD to Euro Banking Team

Asset management firm Baird has appointed Jonathan Bourn as a managing director in its European investment banking team in London. Prior to joining Baird, Bourn was a partner at AAC Capital where he was responsible for originating and executing new investments, managing a portfolio of companies within AAC’s pan-European fund and serving on the fund’s engagement and investment committee.

PRESS RELEASE

Baird, an employee-owned, international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, today announced that Jonathan Bourn has joined the firm as a Managing Director in its European Investment Banking team in London. Bourn will provide leadership to Baird’s existing coverage of financial sponsors and enhance the quality and breadth of our insights to entrepreneurs, companies and private equity firms alike.

Prior to joining Baird, Bourn was a Partner at AAC Capital where he was responsible for originating and executing new investments, managing a portfolio of companies within AAC’s pan-European fund and serving on the fund’s Engagement and Investment Committee. During his eleven years at AAC Capital, Bourn worked on MBOs, debt and equity restructurings and public-to-private transactions, as well as numerous disposals. Prior to AAC, Bourn spent three years as a Director in Credit Suisse First Boston’s Acquisition and Leveraged Finance Group where he arranged debt packages for MBOs on behalf of a number of private equity groups including KKR, Apax, 3i, TPG and Hicks Muse, among others.

“Jonathan’s experience within private equity and in acquisition and leveraged finance give him an enviable set of skills and contacts to support and enhance our advisory services to private equity firms. We are delighted that he has joined our team,” said David Silver, Head of Baird European Investment Banking. “Baird has excellent momentum within its investment banking business globally, with notable success working with private equity clients, on both buy and sell-side mandates. With Jonathan’s leadership, we anticipate building on those successes.”

Chris Coetzee, Head of Baird’s Financial Sponsor Group, added: “Baird has completed transactions with more than 200 different private equity firms in North America, Europe and Asia in the past three years. Jonathan’s addition is critically important to continuing to provide the best service to our private equity clients through our integrated global model.”

A significant portion of Baird Investment Banking’s deal flow comes from private equity firms. Since the beginning of 2011, Baird has announced 121 M&A deals, with a total dollar volume of $24.3 billion. 86 of those deals involved private equity firms, representing $18.2 billion in dollar volume. In that same time frame, Baird underwrote 40 equity deals involving private equity-backed companies, raising $14.2 billion.

Some of Baird’s recent, notable M&A deals involving private equity include: Investcorp’s acquisition of GL Education, the sale of Helly Hansen for Altor to Ontario Teachers, the sale of Qundis for Capcellence to HgCapital, the sale of Intellegrated to Permira, the sale of Olaer for Gresham to Parker Hannifin; the sale of M&C Energy for Lyceum Capital to Schneider, the sale of Spheros to Deutsche Beteiligungs AG and the recently announced sale of NES Global Talent, a portfolio company of Graphite Capital to AEA Investors.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Baird Public Relations

Anne Crago +1 (414) 298-6081

Cubitt Consulting

Michael Henman +44 (0)20 7367 5100
Alice Gledhill +44 (0)20 7367 5104

About Baird Investment Banking
Recognized as the 2011 “Investment Banking Firm of the Year” by The M&A Advisor, Baird is a leading global investment bank focused on the middle market. Approximately 200 investment banking professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia provide companies, entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital firms with in-depth market knowledge and extensive experience in merger and acquisition and equity financing transactions. Since 2007, Baird has advised on more than 230 M&A transactions representing $43 billion in transaction value and has served as lead or co-manager on 250 equity offerings raising more than $76 billion. Baird has received “Deal of the Year” recognitions from The M&A Advisor for seven years running, demonstrating commitment to attaining great outcomes for clients.

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 2,700 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird has more than $94 billion in client assets. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked No. 21 on FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2012 – its ninth 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.