Kurt R. Bauer became the fifth head of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) in 2011. Founded in 1911, WMC is the combined Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers’ Association and the Wisconsin Safety Council. WMC represents 3,800 employers of all sizes and from every sector of the economy, and is referred to as “the state’s most powerful business and manufacturing group” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Under Bauer’s watch, WMC became the first organization to win both State Chamber of the Year (2020), and the Council of State Manufacturers Associations Leadership Award (2023).
Prior to joining WMC, Bauer spent 18 years working for financial industry trade groups, including serving as CEO for both the Wisconsin and Arizona Bankers Associations.
Bauer has served on multiple state, regional and national committees, councils and boards. He is a past chair of the Council of State Manufacturers Associations and the current vice chair of the National Association of State Chambers.
Bauer is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
