Financial Analyst, CIO at University of Richmond; Former Vice President & Chief Investment Officer at Northwestern University

Chicago, IL, USA
Live Event: Please Contact Virtual Event: Please Contact More Fee Info

William McLean Biography

William H. McLean is an endowment investment professional in the United States with more than four decades of experience managing institutional portfolios for universities and foundations. A Chartered Financial Analyst, McLean earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Davidson College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His career demonstrates a commitment to the responsible stewardship of institutional assets and the ability to generate long-term, sustainable investment returns.

McLean began his career in endowment management with roles at major institutions. Prior to his tenure at Northwestern University, he served as senior managing director for asset and investment management at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago and as an investment officer for The Duke Endowment in Charlotte, North Carolina. These positions provided experience in asset allocation, manager selection, and the challenges facing nonprofit investment offices.

McLean served as vice president and chief investment officer of Northwestern University's endowment, overseeing its growth from approximately $3.3 billion to $10.9 billion. During his leadership, the endowment contributed nearly $5.3 billion to the university's operating budget. His performance was recognized by Institutional Investor, which named him a Top Large Endowment Investor. Under his direction, the fund achieved a ten-year return of 9.4 percent, compared with 8.3 percent for endowments with more than $1 billion in assets, as tracked by the annual Nacubo-Commonfund Study of Endowments.

With 42 years of industry experience, McLean joined Spider Management as president and chief investment officer, directing firm strategy and overseeing operations, compliance, and investor relations. He previously served on the University of Richmond's Board of Trustees, the university's investment committee, and Spider Management's Board of Managers, including as chair.

McLean has also contributed to the nonprofit investment community as a board member of The Sherman Fairchild Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, and has served on investment advisory committees for Father Flanagan's Trust Fund, the NCAA, Davidson College, Mather Lifeways, and the Mayo Clinic. He is a past president of the North Carolina Society of Financial Analysts and a former board member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. McLean's governance experience spans higher education, healthcare, and philanthropy, providing expertise in institutional investing, endowment strategy, and the stewardship of mission-driven organizations.

BOOK William McLean

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 05/11/2026.

  • How do I book William McLean to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like William McLean for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for William McLean, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for William McLean or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for William McLean

    Speaking fees for William McLean, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book William McLean are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire William McLean, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does William McLean speak about?

    William McLean is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Leadership, College, Economy, Finance, Government, Leadership, Strategic Leadership
  • Where does William McLean travel from?

    William McLean generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is William McLean’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like William McLean for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book William McLean for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host William McLean or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

William McLean is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book William McLean for your event is available upon request. William McLean generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jeffrey Garten, Andrew Busch, Mark Dotzour, Effie Epstein and Jason Schenker. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling William McLean for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email
  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP