William Blair & Company was founded in Chicago in 1935 by William McCormick Blair. Mr. Blair’s vision was to help clients achieve long-term financial success by identifying Midwestern growth-oriented companies. From that foundation, William Blair & Company has grown into a full-service investment banking and asset management firm with 1,100 employees across four continents. Throughout our history, our firm has remained independent and managed by active employee-owners. While our headquarters remain in Chicago, our vision extends to clients and investment opportunities around the globe.
As our firm continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of a dynamic global marketplace, the words of our founder are as relevant and influential today as they have ever been: “When our clients succeed, the firm’s success will follow.”
We are committed to being a long-term partner to the communities that we live and work in. Building a neighborhood playground for the children of Broadview, Illinois; leading a fundraising effort to support San Francisco schools; and cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House in London are just three recent examples of firm-wide events where our employees have rolled up their sleeves to serve their neighbors. Our firm has consistently been ranked at as Top 25 Corporate Citizen for our support of the United Way. In 2011, the William Blair & Company Foundation contributed to 250 organizations, and our employees personally contributed to hundreds more through their time, energy, and leadership.