Maria Watts, Managing Director, Head of Global Consumer Investment Banking

​Role at Baird

Maria Watts is a Managing Director and Head of Baird’s Global Consumer Investment Banking Group and a member of Baird’s Global Financial Sponsors Group (FSG). She also sits on Baird’s Investment Banking Management Committee. View our recent Consumer transactions.

Professional Experience & Education

Maria joined Baird as an Associate in 2009. She began her career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Stephens. Maria has executed numerous M&A transactions and public offerings on behalf of companies and private equity clients across Consumer and other sectors. Maria was previously a member of Baird’s M&A Fairness Opinion Committee.

Maria received a bachelor’s degree from Centenary College of Louisiana, graduating cum laude and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Outside the Office

In 2023, Maria was named to Crain's Chicago Business list of Notable Leaders in Finance and in 2020, she was named one of Mergers & Acquisitions Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. Maria is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and Pipeline Angels and was an NCAA Division I athlete.