- Package deal moves again: Jean Stack and John Song are leaving Robert W. Baird & Co. for senior managing director roles at Evercore, marking the second time the duo has switched firms together
- Repeat Wash100 honorees: Stack has won the Wash100 Award five times and Song twice, cementing their standing as two of GovCon’s most closely watched dealmakers
- Conference roots: Stack and Song built Baird’s annual Defense & Government Conference into a GovCon fixture over the years — this year rebranded the 2026 Defense, Space & Government Conference and set for Nov. 17 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington
Jean Stack and John Song are leaving Robert W. Baird & Co. for senior managing director roles at Evercore Inc., Bloomberg said Tuesday. GovCon Wire independently confirmed the moves through a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Stack and Song are expected to start in the Washington, D.C., area within the next few months, and Evercore is likely to open a new Virginia office to support the expanded presence, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. Both bankers will hold the title of senior managing director, and it remains possible that other members of their Baird team will follow them to Evercore, though the moves have not been finalized and could still change.
What’s the Context for Stack & Song’s Move?
Stack and Song have co-led Baird’s defense, space and government investment banking practice since 2018, when both joined the firm from Houlihan Lokey. Stack has advised on M&A, corporate divestitures, financing and other strategic transactions for GovCon clients including Lockheed Martin, Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture and Boeing over more than two decades in the sector. Song’s focus has spanned electronic warfare, advanced weapon systems, space, cyber and digital transformation.
Their move to Evercore is the second time the pair has changed firms in tandem, having left Houlihan Lokey together in January 2018 to build out Baird’s defense and government practice from the ground up. That track record has made them something of a package deal in GovCon investment banking circles, where the two are widely regarded as inseparable co-leads.
Who Is Jean Stack?
Stack departs Baird after eight years as a managing director and co-head of its defense and government investment banking practice, building on more than two decades at Houlihan Lokey, where she was a founding member of the aerospace, defense and government services group and led its government services practice. Her transaction history includes advising on the sale of PAE to Platinum Equity, Agilex Technologies’ acquisition by Accenture and Acentia’s sale to Maximus, along with divestiture work for CSC, Leidos and EADS.
Stack has won the Wash100 Award five times, most recently as part of the 2026 class, where Executive Mosaic recognized her sustained influence on GovCon deal-making amid heightened private equity engagement and national security modernization. She holds an economics degree from Duke University and serves on the board of Inova Health System.
Who Is John Song?
Song spent 11 years at Houlihan Lokey as co-head of its Government Services & Defense Technology practice before joining Baird alongside Stack in 2018. Earlier in his career, he worked as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, an assistant vice president at Credit Suisse First Boston and an assistant treasurer at Bankers Trust Company.
A two-time Wash100 Award winner, Song earned the honor most recently in 2025 for his role steering major transactions such as KBR’s $737 million acquisition of LinQuest Corporation and CACI International’s purchase of Applied Insight. He serves on the board of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and previously sat on the board of ACG National Capital.
What Happens to the Defense & Government Conference?
Stack and Song’s departure doesn’t extend to the conference they’ve built together over the years. Baird’s annual Defense & Government Conference remains a Baird institution, and this year’s edition — rebranded the 2026 Defense, Space & Government Conference — is proceeding as planned Nov. 17 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, a shift from its traditional venue at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. Whether Stack and Song, who aren’t expected to start at Evercore for a few months, will still take the stage to co-host this year’s event remains to be seen.
“Jean and John have built this conference into one of the must-attend events of the year for the GovCon and government services investment community,” commented Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic.
Executive Mosaic will continue to track Stack’s and Song’s transition to Evercore as more details emerge.
