Baird has strengthened its Portland, ME, wealth management office, adding Baron Becker as a vice president and financial advisor, along with registered client relationship associate Kim Fickett.

Becker was previously a vice president and financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley Wealth Management) since 1999. He started his career in 1991 as a principal trader at Murphy & Durieu and then moved to Paine Webber as a principal trader and investment executive.

Baird also boosted its Edina, MN, wealth management office at the end of October, appointing Karen Heintz as senior vice president and branch manager. Heintz is latterly of UBS, where she most recently managed the firm’s St Paul, MN, branch.

Last month also saw the addition of seven financial advisors within its private wealth management group in Fort Worth and Dallas, TX, Omaha, NE, and Easton, MD, bringing with them a total of $970 million. This was the latest in a string of hires of managers by Baird across the US; since the start of 2009, the firm has brought in more than 250 managers.

Meanwhile, it has also opened or announced new offices in a number of markets, such as Portland, ME; Salt Lake City, UT; Portland, OR; Denver and Fort Worth, TX; Sacramento and San Francisco, CA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Raleigh, NC; and Lynchburg, VA.