Acadian Asset Management
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Investment management |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Gary Bergstrom, John Chisholm, Churchill Franklin, Ron Frashure |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Global (Boston, London, Singapore, Sydney) |
Key people | Gary Bergstrom (founder) |
| Products | Quantitative and factor-driven investment strategies |
| Parent | BrightSphere Investment Group (until 2025) |
Acadian Asset Management, commonly referred to as Acadian, is a United States-based investment management company with its main office located in Boston and additional branches in London, Singapore, and Sydney. The firm focuses on employing quantitative analysis alongside factor-driven approaches to guide its investment strategies.
Background
The origins of Acadian Asset Management date back to 1977 when Gary Bergstrom founded Acadian Financial Research to oversee investment strategies for State Street Corporation. In 1986, Bergstrom joined forces with John Chisholm, Churchill Franklin, and Ron Frashure to establish Acadian Asset Management as an independent entity. The company’s name is inspired by the Acadia region.
Operating as an active manager, Acadian incorporates artificial intelligence and data science techniques within its investment framework to improve decision-making capabilities and uncover market prospects.
In 1992, Acadian was acquired by United Asset Management. Later, in 2000, following United Asset Management’s purchase by Old Mutual, Acadian became part of Old Mutual Asset Management (OMAN). The firm experienced staff reductions in 2009 due to the instability following the financial crisis.
Old Mutual Asset Management went public on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2014. In March 2017, Acadian collaborated with Microsoft to utilize Bing’s extensive data resources for investment analysis; however, this partnership was discontinued later that year because social media data failed to generate significant actionable insights.
In 2018, Old Mutual Asset Management separated from Old Mutual and rebranded itself as BrightSphere Investment Group. Effective January 1, 2025, BrightSphere adopted the name Acadian Asset Management Inc., aligning its corporate identity with the well-recognized brand.