David Tarantino
and Mary McNellis of Robert W. Baird & Company Visited the AIM Program of
Monday, September 12, 2016
 |
| Bill Walker, Mary McNellis, David Tarantino and David Krause |
On Monday,
September 12, 2016, David Tarantino and Mary McNellis (Marquette AIM Class of
2015) of Robert W. Baird & Company visited the AIM program. Mr. Tarantino,
CFA, is a Senior Research Analyst and Associate Director of Research with
Baird. He covers the restaurant segment of the consumer discretionary industry.
Mary McNellis is an Equity Research Analyst who works for Mr. Tarantino.
Mr. Tarantino has
over 13 years in Baird’s Equity Research Department and previously spent ten
years at P&G in various positions in Product Development and Brand
Management. This experience has provided him with a strong foundation to
function as an equity research analyst in the consumer space. Mr. Tarantino
received his MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business and has a B.S. in
Chemical Engineering from Notre Dame. |
| Mary McNellis and David Tarantino of Baird in the AIM Room |
Mary graduated from
Marquette in May 2015. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration – majoring in Finance (AIM program) and Economics. She was
active on the University’s Club Swim Team and was a member of the Beta Gamma
Sigma Honors Society. Mary studied in 2013 at John Cabot University in Rome,
Italy. During her time at Marquette, she interned with Baird and the City of
Milwaukee Pension Fund.
During the AIM
class meeting, they discussed the role of a sell-side analyst and emphasized
the importance of solid writing skills – along with the ability to build
financial models to estimate financial performance and to generate industry
insights through analysis and data gathering. David indicated the importance of
clearly communicating research insights and stock recommendations to
institutional investors and highlighted the importance of personal
communication skills (including face to face meetings, phone conversations, and
email).
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| David Tarantino with AIM students after class |
The students found
the discussion about the restaurant industry to be especially interesting.
David and Mary pointed out that as an analyst in the restaurant space they
focus on those characteristics that allow customers to have a differentiated
dining experience. They pointed out that successful restaurants have a strong
value proposition and a benefit/price equation that consumers favor.
Additionally, innovation and keeping their brand relevant is necessary; as well
as crisp execution – and consistently delivering the desired consumer
experience. A discussion about data analytics also whetted the students’
appetite for their Twitter research project next semester.
Mr. Tarantino and
Mary McNellis stayed in the AIM Room after class to meet with the students in
order to discuss career opportunities as a sell-side equity analyst. Dr. Krause
said, “It was wonderful to have David and Mary visit us again. I believe this
was David’s fifth consecutive year visiting the AIM program and he brings
outstanding insights. I know that the students are always interested in his
presentation – and it was a delight to see Mary again. We’re all proud of her
accomplishments and know she will continue to advance professionally. She was
always an outstanding role model for the undergraduates at Marquette --- and I
miss her positive attitude!”
