Chris Merker brings over 15 years of experience teaching at the college level and leading the Marquette University S-Lab, where he serves as Executive-in-Residence and Co-Director. Chris is also the Director of Private Asset Management at Baird, a nationally ranked investment advisory team, and publishes the blog Sustainable Finance.* 

He is the co-author of The Trustee Governance Guide: The Five Imperatives of 21st Century Investing and serves on the ESG Advisory Panel for the CFA Institute. His Ph.D. research focused on board governance of non-profits and corporations, including school district boards. Chris has extensive experience working with boards, finance and investment committees to ensure mission alignment, financial sustainability, intergenerational equity, and long-term goal achievement. Chris is also board chair of Water + Energy Forward, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on decarbonization and water stewardship.

A product of the Wauwatosa School District, Chris attended Lincoln Elementary, Longfellow Middle School, and Wauwatosa East High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, his MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and his Ph.D. from Marquette University.

Chris is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning, community involvement, and personal growth. An avid runner, yoga enthusiast, and tennis player, he finds balance and inspiration in the outdoors through hiking and travel. Chris also enjoys exploring music, film, and literature, and is deeply committed to fostering a love of education and opportunity for future generations.

He resides in Wauwatosa, where he has lived for the last 20+ years, with his wife and two daughters - a 6th grader at Longfellow and a 4th grader at McKinley. As an engaged parent, he takes pride in being actively involved in his daughters’ school and broader community, working to ensure secure and bright futures for all families.

*Barron’s Top 50 Institutional Consulting Teams and Forbes Top Wealth Management Teams.