Jim joined Baird in 2008 as a Senior Vice President of the firm where he enjoys the process of locating undervalued companies in which to invest .
The portfolios that Jim manages generally utilize companies with a mix of capitalizations to assure exposure to whatever sector of the financial markets is in favor at any given point in time. His approach emphasizes diversification with reasonable portfolio weightings given to each company investment. Jim thinks it is crucial to have the discipline to minimize losses and the patience to let winning stocks run. He believes it is most important to have the confidence to think for yourself. Jim often quotes Warren Buffet, in stating “I’d rather be certain of a good return, than hopeful of a great one.” Jim attributes his ultimate success as a portfolio manager to never having purchased anything for a client that he would not have bought with his own money.
Jim brings more than 35 years of experience to the team. Prior to joining Baird, he spent 15 years at William Blair and Company where he was a Portfolio Manager in the firm’s Private Investor Department. He began his career in the securities industry in 1982 when he was hired as a clerk on the floor of the Midwest Stock Exchange at 16 years old. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in Speech and Economics, he was hired as an Equity Analyst at First Boston. Subsequently, he joined Kidder Peabody where he focused on the development of his discretionary portfolio management practice.
As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), Jim has fiduciary responsibility over the portfolios he manages. As a fiduciary, he is obligated to put your interests first..