WTFC Wintrust Financial Corporation

Wintrust Financial Corporation ("Wintrust") (Nasdaq:WTFC) is pleased to announce Lisa Reategui has joined the Company as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Wintrust, Ms. Reategui spent more than 16 years with Sidley Austin LLP, with a practice focused on corporate governance and securities matters. As a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, Ms. Reategui served Wintrust as its corporate and securities counsel since 2005.

"Ms. Reategui's clear legal counsel and advice, as well as her strong ethical foundation and historical support of our Wintrust team, made her a clear choice to fill the newly created position of General Counsel," said Wintrust's President and CEO Edward J. Wehmer. "Her extensive legal experience coupled with an intimate knowledge of our corporate culture, governance and strategic objectives makes her a perfect fit for our growing organization. We are fortunate that she has agreed to join our team."

Ms. Reategui earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University in 1988, a Master of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1990 and her law degree from Northwestern University in 1995. Ms. Reategui serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Women Employed, on the Executive Committee of the Women's Board of the Field Museum, as a member of the 2010 Emerging Leaders Class at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, as a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and as an active member of the Schools Committee and Annual Giving Campaign for Princeton University. She was a member of the 2005 Leadership Greater Chicago Class and in 2006 was named to Crain's Chicago Business "40 under 40."

About Wintrust

Wintrust is a financial holding company with assets of approximately $15 billion whose common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Wintrust operates fifteen community banks that provide a full complement of commercial and consumer loan and deposit products and services through over 95 banking facilities in the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Wintrust also provides brokerage, trust and investment services to customers primarily in the Midwest, as well as customers of the banks, and provides services in mortgage banking, insurance premium financing and several specialty-lending niches.

CONTACT: Edward J. Wehmer, President & Chief Executive Officer
         David A. Dykstra, Senior Executive Vice President
         & Chief Operating Officer
         (847) 615-4096
         Website address: www.wintrust.com