Wellington Seeks Spotlight After 100 Years of Shunning It (1)

Wellington Management Co. is a rarity in the investment world: a fund manager with more than $1 trillion of assets and almost zero brand recognition.

Not for long.

The staid, nearly century-old firm that mostly serves vanilla equity and bond strategies to buttoned-up institutions like pensions and endowments is now moving aggressively into private markets and hedge funds. Wellington is spending big to hire from bulge-bracket banks and alternative investment firms, adding dozens of private markets professionals to build a unit of about 40 people.

Chief Executive Officer Jean Hynes

Photographer: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

It’s also hustling to build a brand with retail investors, many of whom have ...