Honored Leader: Stephen W. Baird, President and CEO
Company Name: Baird & Warner
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Nature of Business: Real estate brokerage and provider
of mortgage, title and home services.
Founded: 1855
Revenue: Over $100 million
Growth Rate (2003): 13.5 percent
Number of Employees: 247
Average Tenure: 5.5 years
Assuring that a 150-year-old, 240-employee, independent real estate firm
remains competitive in an industry that is redefining itself and consolidating
is a daunting undertaking. Steve Baird, who leads the firm founded by his
grandfather, is not afraid to take risks and make tough decisions in order
to maintain the independence of the firm and assure its future viability.
He has successfully linked his vision of the company as an integrated, technologically
empowered service provider with workplace practices that result in a loyal
and productive workforce. Working from an ethical, values-based foundation,
Baird has focused on attracting and retaining talented people. The organization
invests in training and creating career paths for workers, and engages them
in solving critical problems. The business is continually moving into uncharted
territory, providing an increasingly broad array of services related to
the home-ownership experience, and Steve has created an environment in which
employees feel safe to experiment and make mistakes.
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