Founder
Fiduciary Management Inc. | Milwaukee
Prominent business executive and philanthropist Ted Kellner is the retired founder and portfolio manager of Fiduciary Management Inc., a Milwaukee-based investment management firm he established in 1980. The firm currently manages approximately $16.3 billion in assets. Kellner also founded and serves as chairman of Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc.
Kellner has served on the boards of many corporate, charitable and civic organizations, including American Family Mutual Insurance Co., Park Bank, BMO Harris Bradley Center, Lakeview Equity Partners LLC, Children’s Wisconsin, Chipstone Foundation, Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, Milwaukee World Festival Inc. (past chairman), Greater Milwaukee Committee (past chairman), Medical College of Wisconsin, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (past chairman), University of Wisconsin Foundation and University of Wisconsin National Alumni Association.
He and his wife, Mary, are major donors to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, their shared alma mater. Portions of the campus’s two major sports venues bear the couple’s last name: Kellner Hall at Camp Randall Stadium and Kellner Club in the Kohl Center.
Kellner served as the chief executive officer of the 2024 Republican National Convention host committee, which raised $85 million for the event.
He received the Harvard Business School of Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year Award in 2016, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service and Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame Distinguished Executive Award in 2011, as well as distinguished alumni awards from UW-Madison.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Founder
Fiduciary Management Inc. | Milwaukee
Ted Kellner is the co-founder, former chairman and former chief executive officer of Fiduciary Management Inc. in Milwaukee. He is also co-founder and executive chairman of Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc.
Following his early career at Nicholas Co., Kellner founded Fiduciary Management in 1980. Today, FMI is one of the largest investment management firms in the Milwaukee area, with about $17 billion in assets under management.
Kellner also founded and continues to serve as executive chairman and majority shareholder of Fiduciary Real Estate Development, which owns and manages more than $750 million in multi-family residential units.
Outside of business, Kellner is perhaps equally known in the community for his civic contributions. He and his wife, Mary, are major supporters of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, their shared alma mater. The couple has given millions of dollars to the school’s athletic programs and facilities and scholarship opportunities. Portions of the campus’s two major sports venues bear the couple’s last name: Kellner Hall in Camp Randall and Kellner Club in the Kohl Center. In 2017, the couple committed $25 million toward UW-Madison’s $3.2 billion comprehensive campaign.
The couple also gave $5 million to UW-Milwaukee in support of scholarships and faculty and staff in its business, education and entrepreneurship schools.
Kellner has served on the nonprofit boards of Children’s Wisconsin, the Greater Milwaukee Committee (past chair), Medical College of Wisconsin, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (past chair), Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee World Festival Inc., and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. He is also past chair of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, past president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and past president of the Wisconsin School of Business Board of Visitors.
Education: Bachelor’s, UW-Madison
