Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. has agreed to acquire Boulder, Colo.-based Chautauqua Capital Management for an undisclosed price. The transaction is expected to close in early 2016.
Chautauqua is a global investment management firm. The acquisition will allow its investment team to focus on its strategy, while Baird provides back office services and support for the company’s clients.
The team at Chautauqua is led by chief investment officer Brian Beitner, CFA, who founded Chautauqua in 2009 to focus on international and global equity portfolios. He has more than 17 years of industry experience, previously as manager of international and global equity portfolios at Trust Company of the West’s concentrated core equities portfolio.
“With the increasingly complex nature of various back office, support and oversight functions, our joining Baird enables us to focus 100 percent of our attention on providing superior returns in our international and global strategies,” Beitner said. “Their employee-owned model and emphasis on putting clients first make them the best fit for our team and our clients.”
Chautauqua has approximately eight employees, who will continue to be based in Boulder, where Baird has an office. They will become equity owners in Baird and have made long-term commitments to the firm.
Baird is an international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with more than 3,200 employees and more than $152 billion in client assets.
“Our business is increasingly global, and enhancing our capabilities to best serve clients’ needs in a global economy is a key focus for many of our businesses,” said Paul Purcell, Baird chairman and chief executive officer. “A strategic priority for Baird has been adding global and international capabilities to our Asset Management business. Chautauqua Capital has a great track record and a world class team. They have a strong, client-first culture like ours and an investment philosophy and approach that is similar to our current equity asset management offerings where we seek to balance performance and risk control to provide long-term value across market cycles.”
“Given Chautauqua Capital’s compelling long-term investment track record of risk adjusted returns and Baird’s back-office capabilities and experience, we see an exceptional opportunity for both Chautauqua Capital and Baird clients,” said Reik Read, managing director, Baird Investment Management.
