'Illinois is a great place to do business. We just need to get out of our own way'

Q: Tell us a little bit about Wintrust Financial.

A: Wintrust is a Rosemont-based financial company and family of community banks. With more than 150 locations in the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southern Wisconsin, we're a locally-built and locally-focused company dedicated to serving the communities we're part of.

That means creating customized financial tools for those areas, but also getting involved with and giving back to the things that make them unique. Our banks and bankers believe in being a real asset to the community.

Q: Explain the history of the company.

A: We came up with the idea for Wintrust over beers and cigars. It was right at the time when the big banks were starting to pop up on every corner, and we decided that we wanted to start a bank that would be a true community bank: one with high-touch personal service that would support the area, and get involved with things that mattered.

There were a handful of us who got together to come up with a business plan and work through the numbers and we opened Lake Forest Bank & Trust, the first Wintrust Community Bank, in 1991.

From there, we continued to grow and expand into new areas.

Today, we have more than 150 community bank locations in our footprint. We've also expanded what we do over the years to include services well beyond personal banking solutions, so we have a variety of companies and divisions that are also part of Wintrust.

Q: Tell us one interesting fact about Wintrust that most people may not know.

A: We threw a dart at a book to choose the name Wintrust. So many people think we were being clever and implying that we "win trust."

We're not that smart. In reality, we initially created Wintrust to be the holding company and never intended to lead with that name.

We needed to file a name, so we opened an old book of English companies, leaned it against the wall and threw a dart.

During the recent recession, we realized that it would be helpful if people knew our banks were backed by the larger company - that we were an institution they could rely on - so we brought Wintrust to the forefront.

Q: What are some of Wintrust's services?

A: The question should be when it comes to financial services, what don't we do. We like to say we're your one-stop shop for any financial need.

We obviously offer a variety of personal banking solutions, like great checking and savings accounts and competitive CDs.

We also offer robust commercial banking services through Wintrust Commercial Banking and a number of our specialized industry-specific groups; mortgage origination nationwide through Wintrust Mortgage; and sophisticated wealth management tools through Wintrust Wealth Management.

Then, through other divisions that fall under our umbrella we also provide property and casualty and life insurance premium financing, and accounts receivable financing and administrative services for payroll and staffing companies.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your personal history.

A: I started my career as a certified public accountant and spent seven years with what was then Ernst & Ernst specializing in banking, particularly in mergers and acquisitions.

I went on to help with some additional acquisition work at River Forest Bancorp as senior vice president and chief financial officer, helped build up that bank group, and served as president of the firm's largest subsidiary, Lincoln National Bank.

That was all a solid foundation for taking me in the direction I've gone in, but much of what I've done with Wintrust came down to two things: creating a better work life balance and relying on the people who believed in what we were doing.

In the previous roles I had, I worked crazy hours and traveled a lot.

I had five kids at home (soon to be six) at the time, and I quit my job to create something that I believed in and that could give me a better life balance.

But, taking that leap also meant that my wife had to put her faith in me that I could figure it out. And, it meant that people all along the way - starting with those guys at that card table and our founding customers and investors - had to believe in our mission. That's something that's still true today.

More than 26 years later, every employee, every customer, every group we partner with, has to believe in what we're doing or our model doesn't work.

Q: How is Wintrust involved with Habitat for Humanity? Why?

A: As a locally-based and locally run company, we know it's our responsibility to give back to the area we call home.

Our philanthropic focus is part of our foundation, so we believe in supporting organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, that are doing important work to improve our area. What makes our communities better makes us better.

Our relationship with Habitat began several years ago and has evolved into one that includes helping with local builds, financial donations, and mortgage loans and servicing. Members of our staff have also helped building homes.

They won't let me do it as I am not allowed near power tools given my innate clumsiness. We've also featured it on our Mural Building along the Kennedy Expressway.

We're honored to be partnered with an organization helping to make such a difference.

Q: What are people in your industry talking about? What's trending?

A: Well, obviously, the big one is rising interest rates. The Fed has been steadily raising rates and it seems it will continue to do so. Another hot topic is the housing inventory shortage for middle class and first-time homebuyers.

That's something I've personally felt was coming for a while. On the local level, I think a big topic is Illinois' economy.

We're all hoping we can start to see some improvements because we're still lagging behind other states when we should be ahead. Illinois is a great place to do business. We just need to get out of our own way.

Q: Two people to follow on Twitter and why.

A: I am not a big Twitter guy.

I tried it for a little while but it just frustrated me and aggravated me.

I read The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other newspapers, all online. Somewhere between all of them you can assemble some semblance of truth and reality.

For scuttlebutt, I rely on my wife Dorothy who is a People magazine addict.

Headquarters: Rosemont

Phone: (847) 939-9000

Director/CEO: Edward J. Wehmer, CEO

Assets: $28 billion (Q1 2018)

When organization started: 1991

Web address: <a href="http://www.wintrust.com">wintrust.com</a>