Kurt Bauer

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.

In 2020, WMC was recognized as the State Chamber of the Year for its advocacy, information delivery, and general support of Wisconsin businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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 is Immediate Past Chair of the Council of State Manufacturers Associations and serves on the boards of the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Association of State Chambers. He is also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee.

Bauer is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.