Robert W. Baird & Co. has named David S. Schechner managing director of its healthcare investment banking group in Boston.

Schechner joins the Milwaukee-based firm from Canaccord Genuity Inc., where he has led the biotechnology and pharmaceutical banking group since 2008. Before that, he founded and ran the biotech banking group at Needham & Co. He has previously held investment banking roles at Goldman Sachs & Co. and Bear Stearns.

Baird has been growing its investment banking staff nationally. Schechner will help lead the firm’s global life sciences banking practice.