Company: WTFCN
Filing Date: 2025-05-22
Form Type: S-8
Source: 0001104659-25-052025
Chunk: 0

Company: WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-05-22
Form: S-8
Chunk 0
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<div align='center'>As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 22, 2025</div>

Registration No. 333-

<div align='center'>UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)</div>

| Illinois                        | 36-3873352             |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer       |
| Incorporation or Organization)  | Identification Number) |

<div align='center'>9700 West Higgins Road, Suite 800

Rosemont, Illinois 60018

(Address, including zip code, of principal executive
offices)

Wintrust Financial Corporation 2025 Stock Incentive Plan(Full title of the plan)

Kathleen M. Boege
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
9700 West Higgins Road, Suite 800
Rosemont, Illinois 60018
(847) 939-9000

(Name, address, and telephone number, including
area code, of agent for service)</div>

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated
filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of
“large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

| Large accelerated filer | x | Accelerated filer         | ¨ |
| Non-accelerated filer   | ¨ | Smaller reporting company | ¨ |
|                         |   | Emerging growth company   | ¨ |

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.¨

<div align='center'>PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS</div>

All information required by Part I to be contained
in the prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the explanatory note to Part I of Form S-8
and