Mark Whitaker is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Municipal Sales and Research in Mesirow’s Institutional Sales and Trading division. He is head of the municipal research team with a specialized focus on high-yield securities and plays an integral role on both the credit commitment and senior risk committees.

Mark has 16 years of experience in financial markets, with twelve of those years dedicated to municipal credit research. Before his tenure at Mesirow, he served as a municipal bond research analyst at Northern Trust Asset Management. During his time there, his department was awarded with the Municipal Asset Manager of the Year award by Institutional Investor in 2013 and 2014.

Mark is a frequent speaker and panelist at industry conferences. He has contributed to discussions on Illinois borrowers, healthcare, municipal distress and security structures at forums organized by Assured Guaranty, Debtwire, KBRA, InvestorTools, Smith’s Research, and the National Federation of Municipal Analysts. His expertise in the field was further recognized when he was voted as a 2023 Smith’s Municipal Analyst All-Star in the Sell-Side Director of Research category by his industry peers.  Mark has been a recognized voice in the industry and has been quoted by both Debtwire and Bloomberg for his insights.  

Mark earned his BS in Finance and Business Education from Illinois State University, where he was a captain on the football team. He holds the CFA® charter and maintains FINRA Series 7, 63, and 52 licenses.

Mark's professional affiliations include membership in the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and the CFA Society of Chicago. He also serves on the board of the Chicago Municipal Analyst Society. Beyond his professional endeavors, Mark is deeply committed to his community, he served as a consultant for Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago and volunteered as a varsity football coach for Chicago Public Schools.