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LONDON, April 7, 2020 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management today announced the appointment of Peter Mennie to Global Head of ESG Research and Integration effective immediately. Mr. Mennie will report to Christopher Conkey, Global Head of Public Markets, Manulife Investment Management.

Based in London, Mr. Mennie has been with Manulife Investment Management for more than 20 years, most recently as Global Head of Investment Risk Management and Quantitative Analytics. Mr. Mennie hired and led the ESG team from 2014 – 2016 which subsequently reported into him. Manulife Investment Management's ESG capabilities continued to develop and expand under his guidance and he will now be directly leading the team again. In addition to his responsibilities as Head of ESG Research and Integration, he will also continue in his former role.

To support Mr. Mennie in this expanded position, Amirali Assef, has been appointed Deputy Head of Investment Risk. Mr. Assef was previously Managing Director, Investment Risk, and has been with the firm since 2011. The additional changes to the ESG Research and Integration team which have been implemented to support the position are outlined below.

Manulife Investment Management's approach to sustainable investing combines a macro perspective on ESG risks, opportunities and imperatives with the depth of local market expertise.  As a global asset manager with strong regional footprints, it has perspective on navigating sustainability's systemic challenges and opportunities, which helps to develop and synthesize innovative global frameworks for sustainability analysis and asset management that work in the local context. Manulife Investment Management recognizes that sustainability is integral to business in a world that is rapidly changing and is dedicated to sustainable investing to help clients achieve their goals and those of their stakeholders.

"ESG continues to redefine the asset management industry. Manulife Investment Management is firmly committed to collaborative ESG integration across our portfolios, creating differentiated opportunities for investors in global markets," said Mr. Conkey. "I am truly pleased to have Peter, once again, leading this practice for us and am confident he and the team will continue to establish Manulife as an industry leader in the ESG space."

The following changes have been made to the Global ESG Research and Integration team:

• Eric Nietsch, previously Director, ESG Integration and Research, Asia has been promoted to Head of ESG, Asia. Mr. Nietsch joined the firm in 2019 and has been conducting proprietary research to assess the investment risks and opportunities related to the sustainability strategies of companies in the region. Mr. Nietsch also works with Manulife Investment Management's sales and product teams on ESG strategy and marketing has 10 years of experience in investment in both ESG and credit. He is based in Singapore and will report directly to Mr. Mennie. Tim Chan, Senior Analyst, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Research & Integration will continue in his role and support the region's activity from Hong Kong.
  
  
• Margaret Childe, previously Director, ESG Integration and Research, Canada, has been promoted to Head of ESG for Canada. Ms. Childe joined the firm in 2017 to work with Manulife Investment Management's Canada-based investment teams on ESG integration. She also works on global ESG integration projects and methodologies for ESG product development. Ms. Childe brings over 15 years of experience to the role, starting in capital markets before specializing in sustainable investing over the last 8 years. She is based in Toronto and will report directly to Mr. Mennie.
  
  
• In the U.S., the team benefits from a depth of expertise and Pete Dervan, Frederick W. Isleib, CFA, and Hideki Suzuki will continue in their roles as Directors, ESG Research and Integration. Mr. Dervan is responsible for the advancement and oversight of the firm's active ownership practices in public markets, Mr. Isleib works directly with U.S.-based portfolio managers and is responsible for ESG integration in some of the firm's largest equities and fixed income strategies (by AUM), and Mr. Suzuki is responsible for engagement with Japanese companies and leading ESG data methodology and analytics development projects. This Boston-based team will report to Mr. Mennie.

"Over the past six years, the ESG Research and Integration team has done tremendous work to collaborate with portfolio teams and investors to successfully integrate ESG factors into investment analysis," said Mr. Mennie. "My goal is to continue to build on this success as we endeavor to invest responsibly for our clients' futures."

About Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than 150 years of financial stewardship to partner with clients across our institutional, retail, and retirement businesses globally. Our specialist approach to money management includes the highly differentiated strategies of our fixed-income, specialized equity, multi-asset solutions, and private markets teams—along with access to specialized, unaffiliated asset managers from around the world through our multimanager model. Our personalized, data-driven approach to retirement is focused on delivering financial wellness in retirement plans of all sizes to help plan participants and members retire with dignity.

Headquartered in Toronto, we operate as Manulife Investment Management throughout the world, with the exception of the United States, where the retail and retirement businesses operate as John Hancock Investment Management and John Hancock, respectively; and in Asia and Canada, where the retirement business operates as Manulife. Manulife Investment Management had CAD$879 billion (US$677 billion) in assets under management and administration.^* Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit our website at manulifeinvestmentmgt.com.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Bartlett, +1 857-210-2286, Elizabeth_Bartlett@Manulife.com

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SOURCE Manulife Investment Management