William Blair announced that John Kreger has been named director of research of the firm’s sell-side equity research group. Based in Chicago, Kreger will oversee a team of research analysts responsible for coverage of more than 700 growth-oriented companies.

“I am thrilled to announce John’s new role as director of research for William Blair, serving as a capstone to a sterling 23-year career as a research analyst for the firm,” said Scott McLaughlin, head of equities at William Blair. “John is highly respected inside William Blair and externally by the global investment community. He is the perfect leader for our award-winning equity research group.”

Kreger draws on nearly 30 years of experience in equity research. He has been a partner at William Blair since 2003, and throughout his career has covered growth companies in healthcare services subsectors including pharmaceutical outsourcing, dental, and animal health, among others. Before joining William Blair, Kreger served as a research analyst at Vector Securities International, also covering companies in the healthcare industry. Kreger received his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and his B.B.A. from the University of Michigan.

“It is an honor to be named director of research for William Blair, and I am humbled by the opportunity to lead a team of analysts who work tirelessly to deliver superior investment ideas and value-added perspective for hundreds of companies across myriad sectors,” Kreger said. “Under Scott’s leadership of

William Blair’s institutional sales, trading, and research group, we are poised to further elevate the team’s performance and expose the industry to the strength and depth of this wonderful team.”