Ideas

Reed Hall, former executive of the Marshfield Clinic, was named the new chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday. Hall has served as the interim secretary/CEO of WEDC since November.

Wisconsin State Fair executives have announced a partnership with Bank Mutual Corporation for the 2013 fair. Bank Mutual will serve as the title sponsor of the Bank Mutual Amphitheater, which is the biggest free entertainment spot on fair grounds.

BizTimes Media is accepting nominations for its 2013 Bravo! Entrepreneur and IQ (Innovation Quotient) Awards.
The awards salute southeastern Wisconsin's most bold, dynamic and innovative companies and corporate leaders.

Super angel investor Tom Shannon meets with the CEO of Somna Therapeutics, a recent spinout from the Medical College of Wisconsin, every Monday morning to go over an activity report. He and CEO Nick Maris look at what got done the previous week, what needs to happen in the coming week and progress against critical milestones as they prepare to bring to market a device for the control of acid reflux.

Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Inc. announced its 2012 financial results, which include a record dividend payout to policy owners expected to exceed $5 billion in 2013. The company paid $4.97 billion in dividends last year.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Associated Banc-Corp. is consolidating its Chicago operations into one larger office in the West Loop from four other buildings in the market.

The state is now projected to have nearly $1.7 billion in extra revenue to assemble the next two-year budget.

Greenville, Wis.-based School Specialty Inc. announced a plan to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sell its assets to an affiliate of Bayside Capital Inc.

Baird Private Equity, the direct private investment arm of Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., has unveiled an updated strategic brand that includes the new name of Baird Capital.

The preferred stock and subordinated debt positions of Waukesha-based bank holding company Waukesha Bankshares Inc. are being auctioned today as part of the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program’s Capital Purchase Program.