MFC Global Investment Management Names Don Rich as Head of Tactical Asset Allocation

TORONTO, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MFC Global Investment Management today announced the appointment of Don Rich as Vice President and Head of Tactical Asset Allocation.

Dr. Rich, who will be based in Toronto, will report to Mark Schmeer, Chief Investment Officer, Equities, Asset Allocation and Research, MFC Global Investment Management. His appointment is effective immediately.

He will be responsible for determining the appropriate percentage of assets held in various categories for many of MFC Global's tactical asset allocation portfolios worldwide. He will also provide overall guidance in the construction of multi-asset class strategies. In addition, he will conduct investment research supporting other portfolio management teams.

"Don Rich has exceptionally strong experience both as an academic and a practitioner in the finance industry. As we continue to execute our growth strategy and further strengthen our global asset allocation capabilities, we are very pleased to have him join the MFC Global team," Mr. Schmeer said.

Dr. Rich worked previously for Harvard Management Company, which manages Harvard University's endowment. He was a portfolio manager and Director of Research for Foreign Exchange. He also was a member of the Portfolio Committee which established the secular and cyclical outlook for the endowment's assets. He assisted with tactical asset allocation, implementing derivative overlays to develop alpha and to hedge tail risk.  

He also worked at Wellington Management Company, where he also served as Foreign Exchange Team Portfolio Manager & Director of Foreign Exchange Research. He designed and implemented quantitative tools to monitor the linkage between macroeconomics and capital markets.  

Prior to that he worked at State Street Associates and was co-architect in the development of the continuous value at risk model that is now a commonly used measure of risk.  He also developed models focused on macro activity, capital flows, and savings, which have proven to be successful tools to forecast currency moves, macro economic variables, and investment strategy.

Dr. Rich holds a PhD in Finance from Virginia Tech and has worked as a risk management consultant, and as an Associate Professor at Northeastern University in Boston.  

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. As at December 31, 2009, assets under management for institutional clients were approximately Cdn$110 billion.

MFC Global Investment Management®, Manulife and the block design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it and its affiliates including Manulife Financial Corporation.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$436.5 billion (US$407.1 billion) as at September 30, 2009.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

SOURCE MFC Global Investment Management