# Mesirow hires Morningstar multi-asset research head to run investment solutions

URL: https://www.financialadvsr.com/article/mesirow-hires-morningstar-multi-asset-research-head-to-run-investment-a2858d
Published: October 7, 2026
By: Grant Whitmore, Moves Correspondent
Section: Moves
Publisher: Financial ADVSR (https://www.financialadvsr.com)

Paul Arnold, formerly Global Head of Multi-Asset Research at Morningstar Investment Management, has joined Mesirow Wealth Management as managing director and head of investment solutions.

Mesirow Wealth Management has hired Paul Arnold, previously Global Head of Multi-Asset Research at Morningstar Investment Management, to lead its investment solutions group. InvestmentNews reported the appointment on October 7, 2026.

According to the firm's announcement, Arnold joined Mesirow as managing director and head of investment solutions, effective August 3, 2026. Mesirow issued the press release on October 6, 2026.

The announcement describes Arnold as an investment management professional with more than 20 years of experience. At Morningstar, he led the multi-asset portfolio management team, which managed over $10 billion in assets, according to a syndicated copy of the release published by Middletown Life Magazine.

The same release says Arnold was lead portfolio manager for three Morningstar managed portfolio series: ETF Asset Allocation, Active-Passive Asset Allocation and ESG Asset Allocation.

Mesirow Wealth Management is led by CEO Brian D. Price, according to the release. The wealth unit sits within Mesirow, a Chicago-based, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Mesirow's website says it has $359 billion in total assets under supervision, and public records on the firm describe it as 100% employee-owned in terms of voting shares.

Mesirow's press materials put the wealth management business at more than $14.2 billion in assets under management and advisement as of March 31, 2026. The firm says that figure placed it 12th on Crain's Chicago Business list of the largest wealth management firms by local assets under management. It also lists itself as a 2026 Barron's Top 100 RIA firm.

Arnold's former employer, Morningstar, is better known for research and ratings, and also runs an asset management arm. Wikipedia's entry on the company cites more than US$295 billion managed by that division as of March 31, 2023, a figure that is dated and may not reflect current assets.

The sources reviewed do not say what Arnold's mandate will include in detail, whom he will report to, or whether other members of his former team will follow him. Those specifics were not part of the material available.

Key facts:
- Paul Arnold joined Mesirow Wealth Management as managing director and head of investment solutions, effective August 3, 2026, per the firm's announcement.
- Mesirow's press release was dated October 6, 2026; InvestmentNews reported the news on October 7.
- At Morningstar, Arnold's multi-asset portfolio management team managed over $10 billion, according to the release.
- Mesirow Wealth Management reported more than $14.2 billion in assets under management and advisement as of March 31, 2026.

Why it matters: Wealth management firms are building out in-house investment solutions and model portfolio capabilities, and hiring a senior figure from a large asset manager is one way to do it. For advisors at Mesirow and competing firms, such hires can signal how much weight a firm places on centralized portfolio construction versus advisor-level discretion.

Sources:
- InvestmentNews: https://www.investmentnews.com/ria-news/mesirow-taps-morningstar-veteran-to-lead-investment-solutions/268506
- prnewswire.com: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mesirow-deepens-wealth-management-platform-hires-industry-veteran-paul-arnold-302898947.html
- mesirow.com: https://www.mesirow.com/
- lifestyle.middletownlifemagazine.com: https://lifestyle.middletownlifemagazine.com/story/737883/mesirow-deepens-wealth-management-platform-hires-industry-veteran-paul-arnold/
- lelezard.com: https://www.lelezard.com/en/news-mesirow-deepens-wealth-management-platform-hires-industry-veteran-paul-arnold-22392402.html
- mesirow.com: https://www.mesirow.com/press-releases/mesirow-again-ranked-among-top-chicago-area-wealth-management-firms
- en.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesirow_Financial