American Century Investments Announces Global Growth Equity Retirement and Promotions

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Jul 23, 2021, 10:00 ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Century Investments®, a $235 billion global asset manager,* recently announced a leadership change and portfolio manager promotion within its Global Growth Equity group.

Global Growth Co-CIO

Greg Woodhams, CFA, co-chief investment officer of its Global Growth Equity discipline, will retire from the firm, effective Dec. 31, 2021. Keith Lee, CFA, senior vice president and senior portfolio manager, is promoted to co-CIO of Global Growth Equity, assuming those responsibilities Sept. 1.

During his 24-year career at American Century, Woodhams has provided outstanding leadership to his teams and delivered steady performance to clients, according to Chief Investment Officer Victor Zhang. "Greg assumed the CIO role in 2009, and, during his tenure, he has guided the group with integrity, collegial team decision-making and a steadfast focus on clients. With a hallmark of consistency and structure, Greg has cultivated collaborative and skilled teams and leaves them well prepared for continued success. We thank Greg for the many contributions he has made and the tremendous dedication he has shown to our firm and our clients and wish him well as he transitions toward retirement."

With Woodhams' retirement, Keith Lee, CFA, senior vice president and senior portfolio manager, is promoted to co-CIO of the Global Growth discipline, assuming those duties Sept. 1.

Lee brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his role, including 22 years at American Century, and has been a member of the Global Growth discipline since 2001. In his new role, he takes over responsibilities for the investment management function, including investment culture, process oversight, resource allocation and talent development, for the U.S. large- and mid-cap teams within the Global Growth discipline. The group is comprised of 23 investment professionals who manage $59 billion in 11 distinct investment strategies (as of June 30). Lee also retains his portfolio management responsibilities.

"During Keith's 22-year tenure with American Century, he has demonstrated impactful leadership, strict adherence to defined investment processes, a thorough understanding of our investment culture and an unwavering commitment to helping clients achieve success," said Zhang. "This promotion is a reflection of his substantial contributions and our belief in his readiness to assume this role."

Lee holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University. Before joining American Century, he was a securities analyst for Oppenheimer Funds. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.

U.S. Large Cap Growth Team

Along with his co-CIO duties, Woodhams leads the U.S. Large Cap Growth team and serves as a co-portfolio manager for the U.S. Large Cap Growth and U.S. Sustainable Large Cap Core strategies.

With Woodhams' retirement, Joe Reiland, CFA, is promoted to vice president and senior portfolio manager. He takes on Woodhams' leadership responsibilities for the U.S. Large Cap Growth team and becomes a named portfolio manager on the U.S. Large Cap Growth strategy. He will share these portfolio management responsibilities with co-portfolio managers Justin Brown, CFA, and Scott Marolf, effective Sept. 1.

Reiland has more than 25 years of industry experience and has been a member of the U.S. Large Cap Growth team since joining the firm in 2000.

"Joe's role in developing quantitative models and risk management tools has been an important component of the fundamental investment process over the past 21 years," said Zhang. "He has also demonstrated leadership in ESG investing and is well respected by his teammates and clients. His promotion recognizes the leadership contributions Joe has made over the course of his tenure on the team and at American Century. We are confident he will provide the continuity the U.S. Large Cap Growth team needs to continue delivering the results our clients expect."

Reiland began his investment career in 1995 as a quantitative equity analyst with Commerce Bank. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.

About American Century Investments

American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; Sydney; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.7 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.