2010 Communiqués de presse

Hong Kong - MFC Global Investment Management (Asia) – ‘MFC GIM (Asia)’ – has appointed Joni Wang as Head of Sales Support in Asia, effective April 1, 2010. 

In this newly-created role, Joni oversees the company’s institutional proposals’ process, including the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and the development and maintenance of consultant databases.   Based in Hong Kong, she reports to Avere Hill, Head of Institutional Sales and Marketing, Asia. As well as overseeing an RFP executive in Hong Kong, Joni will also work closely with MFC GIM’s institutional sales colleagues across the Asia region.

Joni joins MFC GIM (Asia) from BNY Mellon Asset Management in Hong Kong where she was responsible for the RPF process across the company’s asset management brands. Prior to that, she spent time in similar roles at Credit Agricole Asset Management in Hong Kong and at Franklin Templeton Investments in both the US and Hong Kong.

Avere Hill explains: “The strengthening of our sales support function is in direct response to the increased pipeline activity from potential institutional clients that we are experiencing.   We are delighted to have Joni on board at a time when the company is forging ahead in the institutional market in Hong Kong and across Asia. An established and successful team of portfolio managers and a growing suite of institutional products mean that we are attracting considerable interest from institutional investors looking for local market insight in Asia, coupled with global investment and risk management expertise.”

Joni’s appointment is part of a concerted growth program in MFC GIM’s institutional sales and marketing team and follows the recent hiring of Edwina Ho to spearhead institutional sales efforts in North Asia.   The appointment also comes after significant new product launches in Taiwan and Hong Kong including IPO of a new Asia Pacific Bond Fund and Asia Pacific Mid and Small Cap Fund in Taiwan and Asia Total Return Fund in Hong Kong in 2009. These funds, along with the company’s Greater China equity strategies, form a key part of the MFC GIM’s institutional investment offering. The company¹ also recently successfully completed a deal to own a 49% stake in Manulife TEDA Fund Management Company Ltd – a leading asset manager in Beijing.

MFC GIM has US$28 billion in assets under management in Asia as at December 31^st 2009, including US$9billion managed for external institutional clients. It has investment professionals situated on-the-ground in 10 countries and territories across Asia – China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

About MFC Global Investment Management

MFC Global Investment Management® is the asset management division of Manulife Financial. MFC Global Investment Management’s diversified group of companies provides comprehensive asset management solutions for institutional investors, investment funds and individuals in key markets around the world. This investment expertise extends across a full range of asset classes including equity, fixed income and alternative investments such as oil and gas, real estate, timber, farmland, as well as asset allocation strategies.

MFC Global Investment Management has investment offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, and throughout Asia. Additional information about MFC Global Investment Management may be found at www.mfcglobal.com.

Notes to editors:

¹MFC Global Investment Management (Asia) is a division of Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) which completed the deal.

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