Baird’s Jean Stack Wins 2026 Wash100 Award for Driving GovCon M&A & Strategic Growth
Executive Mosaic is honored to recognize Jean Stack, a managing director in Baird‘s global investment banking group and co-head of the firm’s defense and government investment banking practice, as a 2026 Wash100 Award winner.
This marks her fifth time earning the distinction, recognizing her continued leadership in advising high-impact GovCon transactions and shaping capital strategies that support growth across the defense and government technology sector.
Help recognize Stack’s impact by casting your vote in the 2026 Wash100 popular vote contest.
Why Is Jean Stack Winning the 2026 Wash100 Award?
Stack is receiving the 2026 Wash100 Award for her sustained influence on the GovCon investment landscape during a period of heightened deal activity, private equity engagement and national security modernization.
As federal agencies accelerate digital transformation initiatives and prioritize capabilities in cybersecurity, space technology, AI, electronic warfare and advanced mission systems, Stack has played a pivotal role advising companies navigating this dynamic environment. She has guided founder-owned firms, private equity-backed platforms and strategic acquirers through complex sell-side and buy-side transactions, leveraged buyouts and capital raises that strengthen mission-aligned growth.
“A Wash100 Award for Jean represents an extraordinary milestone and a testament to the lasting impact and trusted leadership she brings to the GovCon community year after year. With decades of experience advising companies across the defense and government marketplace, Jean is widely regarded as the go-to financial advisor who truly understands the industry inside and out,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.
“As managing director in Baird’s global investment banking group and co-head of Baird’s defense and government investment banking practice, Jean has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry through major M&A activity, strategic advisory work and capital-raising efforts that help mission-focused companies grow and thrive. Her sharp insight, collaborative spirit and ability to connect opportunity with purpose truly embody the Wash100 values and highlight why she remains such a respected force across GovCon,” Garrettson added.
What Is Baird’s Defense & Government Team?
Baird’s defense and government team is an advisory group specializing in mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions across the defense, space, government software and mission services sectors.
Backed by decades of industry experience, deep market intelligence and long-standing relationships throughout the GovCon ecosystem, the team delivers tailored strategic financial advice designed to help clients navigate complex and highly regulated markets. Its expertise spans sell-side and buy-side transactions, initial public offerings, financing engagements and follow-on offerings.
Who Is Jean Stack?
Jean Stack is a seasoned investment banking executive specializing in strategic advisory services for defense and government-focused companies.
Before joining Baird, Stack spent more than two decades at Houlihan Lokey, where she was a senior banker and founding member of the Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Group. Her career has been defined by advising companies at critical inflection points — from founder-led exits to private equity recapitalizations and major strategic combinations.
Beyond investment banking, the Duke University economics graduate serves on the board of Inova Health System.
Driving High-Impact Defense & GovCon Transactions
Under Stack’s leadership within Baird’s defense and government team, the firm has served as a key financial adviser on deals that strengthened mission-critical capabilities across the GovCon landscape.
Baird acted as the exclusive financial adviser to Expedition Technology as the company secured a strategic investment from Razor’s Edge and Enlightenment Capital to accelerate growth in the signals and geospatial intelligence markets. The firm also served as exclusive financial adviser to Kudu Dynamics in its approximately $300 million all-cash acquisition by Leidos, a transaction aimed at scaling AI-enabled cyber capabilities for intelligence, defense and homeland security missions.
In another major deal, Baird served as Altamira Technologies’ exclusive financial adviser in its approximately $375 million acquisition by Parsons, supporting Parsons’ efforts to expand its signals intelligence, missile warning, cyber and space portfolio for defense and intelligence community customers. Baird also advised Invictus International Consulting in its acquisition by Red River, helping facilitate Red River’s expansion in cybersecurity and enterprise modernization services supporting the Department of War and IC missions.
Baird’s advisory work has also extended into the national security space sector. The firm served as exclusive financial adviser to SciTec in its $855 million acquisition by Firefly Aerospace, a transaction designed to expand Firefly’s space and defense capabilities spanning launch, ground and in-orbit mission services. Additionally, Baird supported the TechnoMile-SIMS Software merger, contributing advisory expertise to a deal focused on building a more comprehensive portfolio of AI-enabled tools supporting GovCon workflows from pre-award through post-award execution.
State of the Market: Defense Tech Growth & M&A Trends
In November, Stack co-hosted Baird’s 2025 Defense & Government Conference and delivered the opening “State of the Market” address alongside John Song, where the two highlighted the rapid rise of defense tech. Stack also described 2025 as a “really lackluster M&A environment,” citing an 11 percent decline in deal volume and even steeper softness on the private equity side, while emphasizing that leading contractors are still finding ways to drive growth through strategic acquisitions.
Shaping the Future of GovCon Capital Strategy
As one of the GovCon sector’s most trusted dealmakers and strategic advisers, Stack continues to shape the defense and government technology marketplace through high-impact transactions, capital strategy and forward-looking market insight. Her leadership at Baird and her ability to connect investors, innovators and mission-driven organizations underscore why she remains a standout force in national security-focused investment banking and a deserving member of the Wash100 elite.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Jean Stack and the entire Baird team on their 2026 Wash100 Award win.
Show your support for Stack by voting in the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote Competition.