Morningstar Inc., Chicago, has given its latest Outstanding Portfolio Manager Award to Mary Ellen Stanek, president of Baird Funds and founder and co-chief investment officer of Baird Advisors.
The award, announced by the investment research company on April 20, is given annually to managers who "have distinguished themselves by staying true to their processes, building strong research teams, and delivering top-notch long-term returns," according to Morningstar's website.
In a phone interview, Ms. Stanek credited her investment team and its decadeslong commitment to their investor base.
She has been on the fixed-income team since 1983, the same year she earned her chartered financial analyst designation. The team originally made its home at Firstar Investment Research & Management Co. LLC, where she was director of fixed income and ultimately president and CEO.
When that company was sold in 2000, Ms. Stanek and her team moved to Baird.
"It was a chance for us to build the business again," Ms. Stanek said. "Many of the same core principals we had used on the investment side we carried forward, and a number of our investors have literally invested with us for decades."
Ms. Stanek also credited the culture and environment at Baird, which is privately held and 95% owned by employees.
"The recognition was really for our entire team and the body of work," Ms. Stanek said. "Not just recently, but the body of work over literally years."
That body of work, she said, was thanks to a long-tenured team that has very low turnover and an investor base that has stayed with them for years.
"It's a huge honor and a huge responsibility," she said. "It's really in service as good stewards for our investors, and that's what we strive to do."
