Global Equity Team

The Pillars of Our Culture

Four pillars drive innovation within the global equity team’s investment process—and align with our larger purpose of delivering strong client results.

We must predict how industries of tomorrow may be fundamentally, irrevocably different than they are today. That requires continuous learning.

Discussion and debate lead to innovation. We give everyone a voice. We let everyone weigh in. And in doing so we strengthen our thinking.

By building rigor around growth investing, we create a strong, repeatable process that drives results.
Our initiatives are not only a way to achieve growth with investments; they are a means to creating a positive impact—on our clients, our colleagues, and our communities.

What Differentitates
Our Global Equity Team

Integrated Fundamental and Systematic Process
WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe that quantitative tools objectively inform our rigorous fundamental research. Our corporate performance focus within a global strategy framework:

  • Pursues sustainable value creation at the corporate level, enhanced by a broader strategic viewpoint of macroeconomic and geopolitical dynamics
  • Integrates ESG factors as part of our fundamental analysis

We believe that companies with high-quality and sustainable growth characteristics may:

  • Perform well in up markets
  • Protect in down markets
  • Produce attractive, risk-adjusted returns
WHY THIS MATTERS

We believe our systematic tools enhance our in-depth fundamental analysis, helping us improve investment outcomes for our portfolios and clients. Our proprietary quantitative research models help:

  • Prioritize opportunities
  • Identify potential risks
  • Be more disciplined investors

Having a Growth Mindset

A Desire to Grow

I’m curious about so many things. I truly love learning about very random topics. Whether it’s cryptocurrency, the rise in sports gambling, or the history of the royal family, I’m all about absorbing as much information as possible.

Emily George
PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Seeking New Opportunities

We’re always looking to uncover cutting-edge business models, so our global equity team looked for a new way to make it easy and fun to identify these opportunities by creating a space for what we call “new company discovery,” where research associates lead periodic discussions of newly discovered companies and emerging themes. Ultimately, the goal is to identify future investment opportunities for our portfolios.

One element of investing that we really embrace is looking for the next new thing—the innovators, the disruptors—the potential winners of tomorrow. And we felt we needed a separate space where we can just discover new companies.

Bill Benton, CFA, Partner
CO-DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND RESEARCH ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Championing Collaboration

Sharing Ideas

We originally thought we’d create a summer reading list, but that seemed overdone, and we wanted to be more creative. So we decided to create a newsletter that shares articles, videos, podcasts, and other information not part of the news cycle.

Alexa Davis
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

AUTHENTICITY INSPIRES GROWTH

I think the word “culture” is overused, but when you meet a handful of individuals who seem really genuine, who love what they do and what their firm stands for, it means a lot.

Grant Parsons
GLOBAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

I like being able to interact with so many smart people; you never stop learning.

Esteban Gonzalez Rosell
GLOBAL RESEARCH ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Our Organizational Culture

We believe our organizational culture is a key element of our success. William Blair is employee-owned, and the breadth of our partnership is distinct, as reflected by the number of colleagues who are owners of the business. Our clients’ success and our own success are inextricably linked.

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP

Our colleagues are collaborators who are naturally selfless, who put others’ success ahead of their own, who can see the bigger picture.

Ryan Dimas, CFA, CAIA, Partner
PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Every day I’m here I find myself growing and succeeding in different ways with the help of my teammates.

Nupur Balain
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

We have a “partner champion” program wherein a partner candidate works with an existing partner. The partner candidates are responsible for getting themselves over the line, but the partner is a guiding hand—there to help them but not distort things.

Romina Graiver, Partner
PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Blair really values its more junior team members, and wants to give them every opportunity possible. They don’t put up guardrails because they don’t want to hold anyone back.

Emily Moore
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Sprinting to the Future

Our working groups gather individuals from different levels of seniority and asks them to solve a particular challenge.

We created our China working group to debate our team’s differentiated views of topics related to investing in China. The goal is to work towards a consensus, then leverage our ideas to better inform our portfolio positioning.

Jeremy Murden, CAIA

PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Enhancing Discipline

The Role of Discipline

The best way to predict the future is to understand history, and so I think having a great deal of stability, seniority, and continuity in our team really helps us as a beginning stage. But then beyond that, I think we have to challenge our thinking; we have to actually be disciplined and objective in that.

Spiro Voulgaris, Partner
SENIOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Multiple Investing Frameworks,
Maximum Flexibility

We’ve built and fine-tuned a number of investing frameworks to help build
a practice around growth investing.

Thinking about the corporate lifecycle, thinking about types of growth—the more we can do that, the more I think we can uncover why great companies do so well, and the more we understand why great companies do so well, the better our chances of spotting them in the future.

Hugo Scott-Gall, Partner

PORTFOLIO MANAGER AND CO-DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Committed to ESG Integration

ESG factors are among the many considerations that inform our investment
decisions. They are inextricably linked with our fundamental assessment of
company management and sustainability of competitive strengths.

Creating Impact

Proud Moments

When clients come to see us to say thank you, that’s a very significant moment. You can’t help but be proud because what you’re doing as an asset manager is not screen-based or trading-based or market-based; it’s people-based and it’s livelihood-based.

Vivian Lin Thurston, CFA, Partner
PORTFOLIO MANAGER, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

 

OUR CLIENTS, OUR COMMUNITIES—OUR FOCUS

It’s difficult seeing the devastation that can affect real people, real lives, when the markets tumble. And when that happens, we watch every headline, every comment, to see what’s moving the markets and driving day-to-day price action so we can take appropriate action on behalf of our clients.

Nicola Hynds

SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADER, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

Global Equity Team

The Pillars of Our Culture

Four pillars drive innovation within the global equity team’s investment process—and align with our larger purpose of delivering strong client results.

1. Having a Growth Mindset

We must predict how industries of tomorrow may be fundamentally, irrevocably different than they are today. That requires continuous learning.

2. Championing Collaboration

Discussion and debate lead to innovation. We give everyone a voice. We let everyone weigh in. And in doing so we strengthen our thinking.

3. Enhancing Discipline

By building rigor around growth investing, we create a strong, repeatable process that drives results.

4. Creating Impact

Our initiatives are not only a way to achieve growth with investments; they are a means to creating a positive impact—on our clients, our colleagues, and our communities.

What Differentitates
Our Global Equity Team

Integrated Fundamental and Systematic Process
WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe that quantitative tools objectively inform our rigorous fundamental research. Our corporate performance focus within a global strategy framework:

  • Pursues sustainable value creation at the corporate level, enhanced by a broader strategic viewpoint of macroeconomic and geopolitical dynamics
  • Integrates ESG factors as part of our fundamental analysis

    We believe that companies with high-quality and sustainable growth characteristics may:

    • Perform well in up markets
    • Protect in down markets
    • Produce attractive, risk-adjusted returns
      WHY THIS MATTERS

      We believe our systematic tools enhance our in-depth fundamental analysis, helping us improve investment outcomes for our portfolios and clients. Our proprietary quantitative research models help us:

      • Prioritize opportunities
      • Identify potential risks
      • Be more disciplined investors

      Having a Growth Mindset

      A Desire to Grow

      I’m curious about so many things. I truly love learning about very random topics. Whether it’s cryptocurrency, the rise in sports gambling, or the history of the royal family, I’m all about absorbing as much information as possible.

      Emily George

      PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM


      PLAY VIDEO

      Why Growth Investing
      Requires a Growth Mindset

      00:38
      Ken McAtamney, partner, head of our global equity team, explains why trying to predict the future involves an innate desire to tackle problems and solve puzzles.

      Seeking New Opportunities

      We’re always looking to uncover cutting-edge business models, so our global equity team looked for a new way to make it easy and fun to identify these opportunities by creating a space for what we call “new company discovery,” where research associates lead periodic discussions of newly discovered companies and emerging themes. Ultimately, the goal is to identify future investment opportunities for our portfolios.

      One element of investing that we really embrace is looking for the next new thing—the innovators, the disruptors—the potential winners of tomorrow. And we felt we needed a separate space where we can just discover new companies.

      Bill Benton, CFA, Partner
      CO-DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND RESEARCH ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Where Ideas Go to Procreate

      00:32
      Colleagues’ curiosity is on full display at our global equity team’s learning lunches, where team members discuss a topic that interests them—from finance to pop culture. Hear from Jay Kannan, CFA, a global research analyst on our global equity team.

      Championing Collaboration

      Sharing Ideas

      We originally thought we’d create a summer reading list, but that seemed overdone, and we wanted to be more creative. So we decided to create a newsletter that shares articles, videos, podcasts, and other information not part of the news cycle.

      Alexa Davis

      RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      AUTHENTICITY INSPIRES GROWTH

      (Tap photo to reveal quote.)

      I think the word “culture” is overused, but when you meet a handful of individuals who seem really genuine, who love what they do and what their firm stands for, it means a lot.

      Grant Parsons
      GLOBAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      I like being able to interact with so many smart people; you never stop learning.

      Esteban Gonzalez Rosell
      GLOBAL RESEARCH ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Our Organizational Culture

      We believe our organizational culture is a key element of our success. William Blair is employee-owned, and the breadth of our partnership is distinct, as reflected by the number of colleagues who are owners of the business. Our clients’ success and our own success are inextricably linked.

      COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP

      (Tap photo to reveal quote.)

      Our colleagues are collaborators who are naturally selfless, who put others’ success ahead of their own, who can see the bigger picture.

      Ryan Dimas, CFA, CAIA, Partner
      PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Every day I’m here I find myself growing and succeeding in different ways with the help of my teammates.

      Nupur Balain
      RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      We have a “partner champion” program wherein a partner candidate works with an existing partner. The partner candidates are responsible for getting themselves over the line, but the partner is a guiding hand.

      Romina Graiver, Partner
      PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Blair really values its more junior team members, and wants to give them every opportunity possible. They don’t put up guardrails because they don’t want to hold anyone back.

      Emily Moore
      RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Sprinting to the Future

      Our working groups gather individuals from different levels of seniority and asks them to solve a particular challenge.

      We created our China working group to debate our team’s differentiated views of topics related to investing in China. The goal is to work towards a consensus, then leverage our ideas to better inform our portfolio positioning.

      Jeremy Murden, CAIA

      PORTFOLIO SPECIALIST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Enhancing Discipline

      The Role of Discipline

      The best way to predict the future is to understand history, and so I think having a great deal of stability, seniority, and continuity in our team really helps us as a beginning stage. But then beyond that, I think we have to challenge our thinking; we have to actually be disciplined and objective in that.

      Spiro Voulgaris, Partner

      SENIOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYST, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Multiple Investing Frameworks,
      Maximum Flexibility

      We’ve built and fine-tuned a number of investing frameworks to help build a practice around growth investing.

      Thinking about the corporate lifecycle, thinking about types of growth—the more we can do that, the more I think we can uncover why great companies do so well, and the more we understand why great companies do so well, the better our chances of spotting them in the future.

      Hugo Scott-Gall, Partner

      PORTFOLIO MANAGER AND CO-DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Gaining Perspective to Become Better Investors

      00:58
      William Blair’s proprietary Summit research platform helps our portfolio managers and analysts to efficiently collaborate to identify high-conviction investment ideas in the pursuit of better client outcomes.

      Committed to ESG Integration

      ESG factors are among the many considerations that inform our investment decisions. They are inextricably linked with our fundamental assessment of company management and sustainability of competitive strengths.

      Creating Impact

      Proud Moments

      When clients come to see us to say thank you, that’s a very significant moment. You can’t help but be proud because what you’re doing as an asset manager is not screen-based or trading-based or market-based; it’s people-based and it’s livelihood-based.

      Vivian Lin Thurston, CFA, Partner

      PORTFOLIO MANAGER, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM


      PLAY VIDEO

      The Power of Teams

      01:00
      At William Blair, our team members are more than just job functions; they’re people with unique backgrounds and interests, and we celebrate that. We take the time to get to know the person behind the job.

      OUR CLIENTS, OUR COMMUNITIES—OUR FOCUS

      It’s difficult seeing the devastation that can affect real people, real lives, when the markets tumble. And when
      that happens, we watch every headline, every comment, to see what’s moving the markets and driving day-to-day price action so we can take appropriate action
      on behalf of our clients.

      Nicola Hynds

      SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADER, GLOBAL EQUITY TEAM

      Create an
      Enduring Partnership

      Our active ownership culture creates long-term client relationships by aligning with your interests and helping you achieve successful investment outcomes. Contact us to learn how we can partner with you.

      CONTACT:

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