Michael Gates, CFA
Head of Model Portfolios Solutions, Americas, Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions
Michael Gates, CFA, Managing Director, is Head of Model Portfolio Solutions (MPS) for the Americas and Lead Portfolio Manager for Target Allocation Models and Mutual Funds at BlackRock. Responsible for roughly $200 billion in assets, Michael is a member of BlackRock’s Model Risk Oversight Committee.
Mr. Gates was a founder of MPS at its inception in 2012. BlackRock’s Target Allocation (TA) models lead US model providers by AUM, according to Morningstar. Four of the model families Mr. Gates manages have been awarded Gold Medals by Morningstar (TA ETF, Tax Aware, ESG and Long Horizon). Mr. Gates was nominated for Outstanding Multi-Asset Portfolio Manager by Morningstar in 2025 and his published work has contributed to the CFA curriculum.
Mr. Gates service at BlackRock dates to 1999 including his years with Barclays Global Investors (BGI), which merged with BlackRock in 2009. Prior to founding the MPS group, Michael conducted quantitative trading research for equities in BlackRock’s Global Trading Group. At BGI, Michael led in the development and implementation of BGI’s quantitative approach in fixed income and alternative asset investing.
Mr. Gates serves as the co-chair of BlackRock’s US Social Mobility Network.
Mr. Gates earned his M.S. in Economics from the University of California, Davis, and a B.S., with honors, from the University of California, Davis.
