Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> January 21, 2005
JOSEPH E. LAIRD, JR. Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Laird2 Mr. Laird has worked in the Database Information industry since
1986, when he created the first template for the analysis of the
industry as a senior securities analyst at Hambrecht & Quist. Prior to
founding Laird', he was Managing Director of the Database Information
Strategic Industry Group at Veronis, Suhler & Associates Inc. for ten
years. Mr. Laird's completed transactions include both mergers and
acquisitions and financing assignments. Prior to joining VS&A in 1989,
Mr. Laird was a principal, senior investment analyst, and venture
capitalist with Hambrecht & Quist Group. His work as analyst and
investment banker involved many leading information companies, including
established companies such as Dun and Bradstreet, Reuters and ADP, and
emerging growth companies such as Metromail, Paychex, Gartner Group,
Acxiom, and MEDSTAT Systems of Actmedia to Heritage Media in 1989 and
worked on investment banking projects involving CCC Information
Services, Information America, TRW Information Systems (now Experian),
and American City Business Journals. Mr. Laird also managed H&Q's
venture portfolio in the information and marketing services industries.
From 1971 to 1985, Mr. Laird served in executive positions at Stillman
Maynard & Co., Paine Webber Mitchell Hutchins, and Cyrus J. Lawrence &
Sons. Mr. Laird holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA
from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a
member of the Advertising Research Foundation, the Software and
Information Industry Association, and the Direct Marketing Association. Profile
Mr. Laird: We're an investment bank dedicated to the database
information services industry. I started the practice in 1985 as a
securities analyst at Hambrecht &
