Title: Managing Director, Municipal Underwriter
Firm: Baird
Age: 37
Anne (Mongoven) Sample has been with Baird's municipal finance team for 16 years, beginning her career as an intern while attending Marquette University and joining full-time after graduation.
For over a decade, she has served as a lead underwriter, specializing in charter schools nationwide and California and Wisconsin issuers. In 2025 alone, she priced over $1 billion in financings for Wisconsin school districts.
"Baird's underwriting team is structured so that younger associates learn the full spectrum of the issuance process as an assistant underwriter. From there, your career path is dictated by your work product and the current needs on the desk. I supported both the negotiated and competitive sides of the business and ultimately landed as a negotiated underwriter," said Sample.
Sample didn't know she'd grow up to be a bond underwriter, but she loved her internship experience, which opened her mind to municipal finance.
"I love the fast-paced, collaborative environment on the trading desk and enjoy that each day is different," said Sample. "I try to put myself in our issuer clients' shoes. Wall Street can be confusing and full of industry-specific jargon. Simply put, my role is to execute pricings at the lowest interest cost possible for those issuers in an ever-evolving market."
Sample credits fellow associate and salesperson Noreen Gallagher as a key mentor and inspiration for her in the business. "Noreen has been a trailblazer for women in munis and I admire her work ethic and industry knowledge. I appreciate Noreen's perspective when I'm looking for advice or have a question," she said.
