For investment firms and asset managers selling into the wealth channel, Chicago is not a secondary market. It is a primary target. The metro is home to more than 10,200 financial advisors across every major broker-dealer, private bank, and wirehouse in the market, according to Dakota Marketplace – similar to what we’ve seen in markets like New York City and Philadelphia.
Dakota tracks financial advisors across Chicago and every major metro in the country, with 10,200+ verified contacts across broker-dealers, banks, and select RIA hybrids. The advisors featured below were selected using the same data framework that powers the Dakota 500, Dakota's annual independent recognition of leading financial advisors across the United States.
In this article we’ll review ten of the most significant advisor teams in the Chicago area.
Top 10 Financial Advisors in Chicago
1. Berry Laidlaw Group MS
The Berry Laidlaw Group is a Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management team based in Chicago, serving clients throughout the Chicago metro area. Managing approximately $1 billion in assets, the team provides tailored private wealth management solutions designed to address the complex needs of high-net-worth individuals and families.
2. Brett Herbison – Graystone
Brett Herbison serves as an Institutional Consultant with Graystone Consulting in Oak Brook, IL, advising institutional investors including endowments, foundations, pension plans, healthcare organizations, and religious institutions. He specializes in OCIO solutions, customized asset allocation, alternative investments, and liability-driven strategies, bringing a disciplined, team-oriented approach shaped by his background as a former professional baseball player in the New York Mets organization.
3. Jay Maltby – UBS
Jay brings more than 25 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals and executives, specializing in investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and wealth preservation and transfer strategies. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he is known for delivering tailored solutions and serving as a trusted advisor to clients with complex financial needs.
4. The Bhatia Group ML
The Bhatia Group is a Merrill Private Banking & Investment Group team based at 110 North Wacker Drive in Chicago, serving clients throughout the Chicago metro area. Managing approximately $1.6 billion in assets, the team delivers highly personalized wealth management solutions, focusing on a select group of clients to provide comprehensive, multigenerational financial guidance backed by Merrill’s global resources.
5. The Cultra Wealth Management Group
The Cultra Wealth Management Group is a William Blair team based in Chicago, serving clients across the Chicago metro area. With approximately $4.4 billion in assets under management, the team provides tailored wealth management strategies designed to address the complex financial needs of individuals and families.
Want to see every financial advisor in Chicago? Dakota Marketplace gives you instant access to 10,200+ Chicago area advisors with verified contact details, AUM data, and investment preference indicators.
6. Tim Gleason – William Blair
Tim Gleason oversees the delivery of integrated investment advice and client service, including investment policy development, asset allocation strategy, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring. With industry experience dating back to 1994 and prior leadership roles at BMO Financial and Frye-Louis Capital Management, he joined William Blair in 2015 and serves on the firm’s Asset Allocation Committee, helping guide portfolio strategy across Private Wealth Management teams.
7. The Desai Group UBS
The Desai Group is a UBS Private Wealth Management team based in Chicago, serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, and family offices across the Chicago metro area. Managing approximately $2.29 billion in assets, the team integrates capital markets expertise with comprehensive family office services to deliver highly personalized, sophisticated wealth management solutions.
8. Larry Ekstrom – Graystone
Larry Ekstrom is a Senior Institutional Consultant with Graystone Consulting in Chicago, bringing more than 30 years of experience advising institutional clients on manager research, asset allocation, spending and funding policies, and portfolio risk management strategies. A Northwestern University graduate and Certified Investment Management Analyst (Wharton School), he is a past president of the Association of Professional Investment Consultants and a recipient of the H. John Ellis Award for excellence in investment consulting.
9. Robert Sierens RBC
Robert Sierens RBC is an RBC Wealth Management team based at 111 S Wacker Drive in Chicago, serving clients throughout the Chicago metro area. The team manages approximately $500 million in assets, providing wealth management services to individuals and families in the region.
10. SVLO MS Graystone
SVLO Chicago Group is a Graystone Consulting team based at 227 West Monroe Street in Chicago, advising institutions and complex private wealth clients across the Chicago metro area. Managing approximately $6.75 billion in assets, the team specializes in impact and sustainable investing, delivering customized, mission-aligned investment programs supported by deep research and strategic portfolio design.
Start Calling on the Right Advisors with Dakota Marketplace
Financial Advisors are the largest, and most overlooked, allocator channel in the market. Dakota gives fundraisers and investment sales teams a structured, metro-specific view into this massive audience so you can stop guessing and start booking meetings.
Here’s what you get:
- Organized by Metro Area: Every advisor and financial advisor team in your metro, grouped by location for instant targeting.
- Verified Contact Info: Accurate emails, phone numbers, and office details across broker-dealers, banks, and select RIA hybrids. No bouncing emails or outdated records.
- Investment Preferences and Indicators: Filter by asset class interest, AUM, channel, and advisor attributes to prioritize the right targets before you pick up the phone.
- Form ADV Data: Available for hybrid advisors where applicable, giving you added context on the teams you're approaching.
- LinkedIn Profiles: Fast context on individual advisors for warm, informed outreach.
- Home Office Coverage: Up-to-date research and verified contacts identifying key centers of influence and decision-makers driving platform and product approvals.
- Dakota Recommends: Curated, location-specific recommendations for coffee shops, restaurants, event spaces, and hotels when traveling to meet advisors in Chicago and beyond.
Dakota Marketplace is updated daily in real-time and purpose-built for sellers. If you're ready to go beyond a top 10 and see the full advisor picture in Chicago and across the country, book a demo here!
