Key Takeaways
- Geography: United Kingdom, United States.
Analysis
Baird Capital has promoted five senior professionals across its global platform, reshaping the firm’s investment, capital formation and finance leadership as it scales activity in the US and UK. The moves are designed to sharpen sourcing, LP engagement and operational support for portfolio companies as competition for deals and limited partner allocations intensifies.
Becca Schlagenhauf is elevated to Partner. Schlagenhauf will lead the firm’s work in Pharma Services and Industrial Tech & Sustainability. She sits on the boards of Cleanwater1 and Blue Matter and was a key member of the team that backed Newmarket. Schlagenhauf directed multiple platform acquisitions—VeloDyne, IMS, ICS and PureAir Filtration—and oversaw Blue Matter’s purchase of Sam Brown. She joined Baird Capital in 2021 after a directorship at Northwestern Mutual Capital and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Katie Schoen is appointed Global Head of Capital Formation. Schoen will run LP relations, fundraising strategy, co-investor engagement and the firm’s go-to-market for capital initiatives. Previously Baird Capital’s Global Head of Investor Relations, she spent 12 years in Baird’s Private Wealth Management Research team before joining the private capital unit in 2020.
Erin Jelenchick becomes Global Head of Finance and Operations, adding business operations and strategic planning to her remit overseeing finance and administrative functions. Jelenchick, who joined the firm in 2024 from Baird’s wider finance organisation, will focus on scaling back-office capabilities and aligning finance operations with an increasingly cross-border investment pipeline.
On the investment execution side, Sam Baker-Pollard is promoted to Investment Manager in London; he has supported deals including Newmarket, EvoluteIQ and ecube. John McInerney moves up to Associate, working across Investment, Portfolio Operations and Finance to deliver analytics-led value creation and commercial growth plans for portfolio companies.
Gordon Pan, President of Baird Capital, said the promotions reflect the firm’s emphasis on combining investment acumen with operational heft to meet LP expectations. As private capital markets focus more on demonstrable value‑creation and bespoke capital solutions, firms are investing in senior talent for fundraising, operations and sector-specialist deal teams. Baird Capital — the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. — operates Global Private Equity and U.S. Venture Capital platforms targeting B2B tech and services companies across North America and the UK. The firm highlighted its operational support model and executive network as competitive differentiators, noting its Fortune workplace ranking as part of its talent attraction story.
Industry context: private equity and venture platforms increasingly prioritise integrated capital formation and finance capabilities to shorten fundraising cycles and accelerate post-close value creation. For firms active across geographies, appointing leaders who span investor relations, finance and portfolio operations is becoming a strategic necessity to sustain deal flow and deliver long-term returns.