Acadian Marks 40 Years of Systematic Investing
BOSTON – September 10, 2026 – Acadian Asset Management LLC, a leading global systematic investment manager, has announced it is celebrating its 40th year in business, marking four decades of applying data, technology, and rigorous research to investing in global equity markets. Since 1986, Acadian has grown from a small Boston-based investment firm into a global manager with more than $230 billion in assets under management and over 400 employees across offices in Boston and our wholly-owned affiliates in London, Singapore, and Sydney.
“Forty years is an important milestone, but I’m most proud of how the philosophy and culture that shaped Acadian at the beginning still define us today,” said Kelly Young, Chief Executive Officer. “We believe the best ideas come from people working together, questioning each other’s ideas, and challenging one another in an environment of transparency and respectful debate. That collaborative spirit extends to how we interact with our clients: as a transparent, research-driven partner focused on understanding and evolving with investment needs.”
Acadian was founded in Boston in 1986 by Gary Bergstrom, Ron Frasure, Churchill Franklin, and John Chisholm, who shared an early conviction in the power of applying data and rules-based systems to non-U.S. investing. The firm’s first mandate emerged from a custom request from then-Bell Atlantic’s pension plan for an international equity strategy, establishing Acadian as a pioneer in quantitative global equity investing with a client-centric approach.
Over the years, Acadian has expanded its offerings from its core long-only equity approach to emerging and frontier markets, regional strategies, sustainable investing, enhanced equities, long/short capabilities, and most recently, systematic credit, which will hit its three-year track record in November 2026. The expansion into credit represents a natural extension of Acadian’s systematic platform, leveraging a robust investment structure built over decades and the strength of an integrated research organization.
While data quality and availability, forecasting tools, and market structure of 2026 bear little resemblance to 1986, Acadian has steadily maintained a commitment to innovation through the decades. From developing algorithms in the 1980s to integrating machine learning in 2008, to utilizing LLMs in the signal development process in the 2010s, Acadian has remained at the forefront of adopting emergent and next-gen technologies.
“The tools and techniques we use will continue to evolve on pace with the world around us, but our research culture, unwavering belief in the value of human oversight, and commitment to our client partners will not,” Young added. “As we look toward Acadian’s next 40 years, we’ll continue to question, test, and refine how we invest, while staying true to the principles of collaboration, thoughtful debate, and transparency both internally and externally that got us here.”
About Acadian Asset Management
Acadian Asset Management is among the largest systematic specialist managers in the world. With four decades of experience, Acadian is a pioneer in investing with machine learning, natural language processing, and alternative data. The firm is headquartered in Boston, with affiliates in Singapore, Sydney, and London. Acadian invests on behalf of sophisticated institutional investors, private wealth clients, and financial intermediaries worldwide, with more than US$230 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026.