Great Lakes Advisors
Great Lakes Advisors is a Chicago-based institutional asset manager founded in 1981 and owned by Wintrust Financial, managing approximately $20 billion across Disciplined Equity, Fundamental Equity, Fixed Income, and Multi-Asset Strategy for Taft-Hartley plans, public funds, endowments, advisors, and private wealth clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Great Lakes Advisors does
Great Lakes Advisors, LLC is a Chicago-based institutional asset manager founded in 1981 and operating as a subsidiary of Wintrust Financial Corporation. The firm manages approximately $20 billion in assets under management across four core investment pillars: Disciplined Equity (~$3.0B), Fundamental Equity (~$9.9B), Fixed Income (~$2.8B), and Multi-Asset Strategy (~$4.2B). Disciplined Equity uses proprietary quantitative models incorporating statistical methods, financial theories, and machine learning techniques; Fundamental Equity applies team-based fundamental analysis focused on attractively-valued companies with cash flow and earnings power; Fixed Income offers conservative active management across Core, Intermediate, Municipal, and Limited Duration strategies; and Multi-Asset Strategy delivers goal-based diversified portfolio construction across asset classes.
The firm serves three primary client segments: institutional investors (Taft-Hartley plans, public pension funds, endowments, foundations, healthcare systems, and insurance companies), intermediary clients (financial advisors and subadvisory mandates with mutual fund families and trusts), and private wealth/high net worth individuals. It maintains offices in Chicago, Tampa, and Stamford, employs 29+ investment professionals with credentials including CFA, CAIA, CIMA, and CFP, and is SEC-registered with GIPS compliance.
Revenue is generated primarily through asset-based management fees calculated as a percentage of AUM, with pricing typically ranging from 30-80 basis points depending on strategy, asset level, and client segment. Distribution combines direct institutional sales, dedicated consultant relations, subadvisory partnerships, and approved placement on financial advisor platforms. The firm's growth strategy has been reinforced by the 2023 acquisition of Rothschild & Co Asset Management US, which expanded team capacity, client relationships, and product breadth.
Great Lakes Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great Lakes Advisors
- Legal name
- Great Lakes Advisors, LLC
- Website
- https://greatlakesadvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Great Lakes Advisors is a Chicago-based institutional asset manager founded in 1981 and owned by Wintrust Financial, managing approximately $20 billion across Disciplined Equity, Fundamental Equity, Fixed Income, and Multi-Asset Strategy for Taft-Hartley plans, public funds, endowments, advisors, and private wealth clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great Lakes Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Institutional Asset Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Tax-Focused Wealth Management RIAs (FSAAACAD)
Keywords
Where Great Lakes Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Great Lakes Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Asset Management Fees: Fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management (AUM). The firm manages approximately $20 billion in total assets across equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategy portfolios, with fees varying by strategy type and client segment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional fee schedules based on AUM percentage |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Great Lakes Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Great Lakes Advisors is a Chicago-based institutional asset management firm offering actively managed investment strategies across four pillars: Disciplined Equity (quantitative), Fundamental Equity (value-oriented), Fixed Income, and Multi-Asset Strategy. The firm manages approximately $20 billion in assets for Taft-Hartley plans, public pension funds, endowments, foundations, financial advisors, and high net worth individuals, with customized ESG, thematic, and tax-managed portfolio capabilities.
Product overview
Great Lakes Advisors is a Chicago-based asset management firm offering a unified platform of actively managed investment strategies across four core pillars: Disciplined Equity, Fundamental Equity, Fixed Income, and Multi-Asset Strategy. The Disciplined Equity group (~$3.0B AUM) provides quantitative, multi-dimensional equity strategies with ESG, Catholic Values, TaxManaged, and Climate Opportunities variants across market capitalizations. The Fundamental Equity team (~$9.9B AUM) delivers value-oriented large cap, small/mid cap, and global/international equity strategies. Fixed Income (~$2.8B AUM) offers conservative, active fixed income management with Core, Intermediate, Municipal, and Limited Duration strategies. The Multi-Asset Strategy program (~$4.2B AUM) provides diversified portfolio construction across multiple asset classes tailored to client risk tolerances and return objectives. The firm serves institutional clients (Taft-Hartley, public funds, endowments), intermediary clients (financial advisors), and private wealth investors through separately managed accounts, subadvisory relationships, and model delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Disciplined Equity Strategies A quantitative equity investment strategy utilizing multi-dimensional investment processes delivered by experienced professionals. Offers customized ESG, thematic, and tax-managed portfolios across AllCap, LargeCap, and SMidCap strategy solutions with approximately $3.0 billion in assets under management. Designed for institutional clients, financial advisors, and private wealth investors.
- Fundamental Equity Strategies An equity investment strategy focused on investing in attractively-valued companies that generate cash flow and earnings power beyond market expectations. Includes Large Cap, Small/Mid Cap, Small Cap, and Global/International Value strategies with approximately $9.9 billion in assets under management. Team-based fundamental analysis approach for institutional and private wealth clients.
- Fixed Income Strategies Active fixed income management strategy focusing on higher income sectors and securities with over a century of cumulative investment management experience. Offers Core, Intermediate, Short-term, Municipal, and Limited Duration Municipal strategies with approximately $2.8 billion in assets under management.
- Multi-Asset Strategy Solutions A diversified investment portfolio solution across multiple asset classes, market capitalizations, and securities. Provides goal-based asset allocation, diversified investment selection, and dynamic portfolio monitoring with approximately $4.2 billion in assets under management. Designed for institutional and private wealth clients.
Companies that use Great Lakes Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Great Lakes Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Great Lakes Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Rothschild & Co North America Inc.majorWintrust acquired two asset management units from Rothschild & Co North America Inc. in early 2023. The transaction expanded Wintrust's investment management business and increased assets under management to approximately $8 billion. Key personnel from Rothschild & Co Asset Management US joined Great Lakes Advisors, including portfolio managers and analysts across Fundamental Equity, bringing additional strategies and client relationships.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Great Lakes Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- William Blair Investment Management: Chicago-headquartered fundamental equity and fixed income manager with comparable institutional client focus and mid-tier AUM scale; directly comparable across client segments and strategy mix.
- Ariel Investments: Chicago-based value-oriented fundamental equity manager serving institutional and private wealth clients with similar mid-tier AUM and active equity specialization.
- Driehaus Capital Management: Chicago-based active equity manager with comparable institutional and intermediary distribution, similar size tier, and overlapping fundamental and quantitative equity capabilities.
- Westwood Holdings Group: Dallas-based institutional asset manager with comparable multi-asset strategies and institutional client focus, similar mid-tier AUM scale.
- Loomis Sayles: Boston-based multi-strategy manager offering equity, fixed income, and multi-asset solutions to institutional and intermediary clients with comparable product breadth.
- Eaton Vance (Morgan Stanley Investment Management): Boston-based institutional asset manager with comparable multi-strategy offerings, tax-managed capabilities, and intermediary distribution through subadvisory and advisor platforms.
Emerging players
- Calvert (Morgan Stanley Investment Management): ESG-focused equity and fixed income manager with directly comparable ESG, thematic, and values-based investing capabilities; competes in the same sub-strategies as Great Lakes' Disciplined Equity ESG variants.
Broad incumbents
- Federated Hermes: Larger established multi-affiliate asset manager offering equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies with overlapping institutional and intermediary channels at greater scale.
- Nuveen (TIAA): Large institutional asset manager with comparable equity, fixed income, and multi-asset offerings and significant Taft-Hartley and public pension fund client base.
- American Century Investments: Established multi-strategy asset manager offering equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies to institutional and intermediary clients with overlapping product categories at larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Great Lakes Advisors compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Great Lakes Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great Lakes Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Great Lakes Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Great Lakes Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Advisors
What does Great Lakes Advisors do?
Great Lakes Advisors is a Chicago-based institutional asset management firm offering actively managed investment strategies across four pillars: Disciplined Equity (quantitative), Fundamental Equity (value-oriented), Fixed Income, and Multi-Asset Strategy. The firm manages approximately $20 billion in assets for Taft-Hartley plans, public pension funds, endowments, foundations, financial advisors, and high net worth individuals, with customized ESG, thematic, and tax-managed portfolio capabilities.
Is Great Lakes Advisors a public or private company?
Great Lakes Advisors is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Great Lakes Advisors founded?
Great Lakes Advisors was founded in 1981. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Great Lakes Advisors based?
Great Lakes Advisors is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Great Lakes Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: asset Management Fees.
Who are Great Lakes Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are William Blair Investment Management, Ariel Investments, Driehaus Capital Management, Westwood Holdings Group, Loomis Sayles and Eaton Vance (Morgan Stanley Investment Management). Calvert (Morgan Stanley Investment Management) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Federated Hermes, Nuveen (TIAA) and American Century Investments.
Does Great Lakes Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great Lakes Advisors.
What industry is Great Lakes Advisors in?
Great Lakes Advisors's product category is Institutional Asset Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAG, Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions), with a secondary code of FSAAABAD, Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.