Baird, an employee-owned international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, has expanded its global platform to inclu
Baird, an employee-owned international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, has expanded its global platform to include investment banking capabilities in Asia with the addition of Anthony Yan-Hong Siu, Managing Director.
Siu, a 17-year veteran who was previously an investment banker at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, will focus on cross-border mergers and acquisitions working closely with Baird’s investment bankers in the United States and Europe. He will be based in Baird’s Shanghai office, which also houses Baird Private Equity operating and investment professionals.
“We have long understood that in order to help our clients be successful in China, it is vital to give them access to on-the-ground experts who are deeply familiar with local business practices and know how to best navigate the market,” says Paul Purcell, Baird Chairman, President and CEO. “We have taken that strategic approach with our successful global private equity business, and are very excited about building out our investment banking capabilities to create additional opportunities.”
With more than 150 investment banking professionals based in the US, UK, Germany and now China, Baird has one of the largest global investment banking teams principally focused on the middle market (USD 50-500 million in transaction value), and is uniquely positioned to advise on cross-border transactions.
In explaining Baird’s global investment banking strategy, Director of Investment Banking Steve Booth pointed to Baird’s history in Europe.
“In the late 1990s, our clients valued us for our deep sector expertise, but we were in danger of becoming less relevant due to our strictly US focus,” he explains. “As we expanded into Europe and gave our U.S. clients the access they were interested in, we formed relationships with European clients who were similarly interested in our US connections.”
The situation today in China is directly analogous, Booth said, with both U.S. and European clients increasingly looking to expand into Asia and needing trusted advisors to help them access opportunities in the market.
“In order to best serve our clients, particularly those in the consumer and industrial sectors, we must be able to effectively help them access opportunities in China,” says Booth. “We have been building networks and relationships in the market for years and are delighted that we were able to attract Anthony to our platform. We are confident that he will be an excellent addition to our team.”