James Allen, Vice Chair

Jim Allen is a Vice Chair of Baird and a member of Baird’s Executive Committee out of Louisville. Jim is active in the financial services industry and served as Chairman of the Board of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association in 2019. Jim has devoted his entire working career to J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC, since joining the firm in 1981. He has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company from 2004 until the Hilliard Lyons merger with Baird in 2019.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University and an MBA in finance from the Ohio State University. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst

Jim is married with one daughter. He is involved civically in Louisville, where he is the immediate past Board Chairman of the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation and the 2018 Board Chair of Greater Louisville, Inc., Louisville’s Chamber of Commerce. He is the former Chairman of the Fund for the Arts and he chaired the 2016 Metro United Way Campaign for Greater Louisville. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Business at the University of Louisville, the Board of Trustees of Bellarmine University, and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Jim was a 2024 recipient of the William T. Nallia award presented by the Kentucky Association for School Administrators in recognition of Educational Leadership. In October of 2017, Jim received the Women 4 Women Heart of Louisville Award. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement Kentuckiana Business Hall of Fame in 2015. He received the 2013 Joseph W. Kelly Award, presented annually by the Kentucky Board of Education for support in promoting school improvement. In 2009, Jim was awarded the YMCA Spirit of Louisville Award, and in 2008, he was named the Business First Business Leader of the Year (large-company category).