F-Squared Appoints Sharon French as Head of F-Squared Capital

NEWTON, Mass., July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- F-Squared Investments, one of the fastest-growing investment management firms in the country, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon French as President of F-Squared Capital, the firm's new distribution arm for delivering dual contract and single contract SMAs to the broker-dealer and advisor-sold marketplace.

Ms. French joins the firm from BlackRock, where she was Managing Director and Head of Private Client & Institutions and a member of the U.S. Senior Management team for the iShares ETF business.

Over the next several months, Ms. French will form a team of sales and national account professionals as well as investment committee professionals who will help bring F-Squared's innovative solutions to financial advisors and their clients. She has already completed the initial build out of F-Squared's trading and operations team and she will be joining F-Squared's Management Committee and play a critical part in guiding the firm's overall strategy. 

"Financial advisors across the country are clamoring for solutions that protect their clients' hard-earned capital while helping them achieve their financial goals – a philosophy that is at the core of F-Squared's approach to investing," Ms. French said. "I am truly excited to join a firm that is dedicated to changing the perspective of the entire investment management industry."

"F-Squared Capital is a critical build-out of our firm's ability to deliver solutions to the advisor market, and one that has been in the works for nearly two years," said Howard Present, President and CEO of F-Squared Investments. "Sharon is the ideal professional to head the effort – she is a proven and talented executive who is extremely knowledgeable about both the marketplace and the product offerings.  I am delighted to have her join the firm, and expect that results will quickly speak for themselves."

At BlackRock, Ms. French was responsible for leading strategy and execution for the ultra high net worth channel. She built distribution partnerships with private banks, private client groups and institutional consultants, as well as leading new product development and building platforms in both the retail and institutional markets.

Prior to BlackRock, Ms. French spent nearly a decade at AllianceBernstein, where she was Managing Director and held a series of senior business and sales roles. Ms. French has also held senior roles at Morgan Stanley/Smith Barney and began her career with Chase Manhattan Bank. She holds a B.S. in Management and Finance from the University of Delaware and became a Certified Investment Management Analyst at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

About F-Squared Investments
F-Squared, based in Newton, MA, is an SEC registered investment adviser offering a full range of investment solutions based on their proprietary AlphaSector^® and PoRT^TM investment capabilities. The AlphaSector strategies represent the industry's largest suite of investment solutions targeting upside participation in rising markets with embedded downside risk management.  By seeking to deliver innovative solutions targeting the real needs of investors, F-Squared Investments has achieved superior growth, with firm assets, including wholly-owned subsidiaries, growing in two years from $1.5 billion to more than $14 billion. Visit www.f-squaredinvestments.com for more information on F-Squared.    

SOURCE F-Squared Investments