Manulife Asset Management Bolsters Product Management and Client Service Teams

TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Asset Management has further strengthened its global product management and client service teams with the creation of four new positions in North America. The appointments are effective immediately.

Mark Bishoff, Director, Client Service, Canada.

Mark Bishoff, CFA, has been named Director, Client Service in Canada. Based in Toronto, he is responsible for managing Canadian institutional and sub-advisory client relationships.

Before joining Manulife Asset Management, he worked at State Street Global Advisors, Ltd (Canada), where he was responsible for business development, relationship management and sales and marketing efforts in Ontario.

He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Marcia Irwin, Director, Equity Product Management, U.S.

Marcia Irwin, CFA, has been named Director of Equity Product Management in the United States. Based in Boston, she works with U.S.-based equity investment teams on all aspects of product management, including the support of client facing teams in the communication and positioning of investment strategies with clients, prospects and consultants.

Ms. Irwin, who has more than 18 years of investment industry experience, previously worked at Wellington Management in Boston. She also had worked at Morgan Stanley in their Private Wealth Management Group and held positions at Goldman Sachs, Banque Paribas and J.P. Morgan.

Ms. Irwin graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Marketing and International Management and earned an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Gerry Morris, Director, Equity Product Management, Canada.

Gerry Morris, CFA, has been named Director of Equity Product Management in Canada. Based in Toronto, he has a similar role to Ms. Irwin, but working with Canada-based equity investment teams.

Mr. Morris, who has more than 15 years of investment industry experience, joined Manulife Asset Management from Dynamic Funds where he had worked in product management for many years.

He graduated from Bishop's University with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree and earned an M.B.A. from York University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Les Young, Director, Fixed Income Product Management, Canada.

Les Young has been named Director of Fixed Income Product Management in Canada. Based in Toronto, he works with Canada-based fixed income investment teams.

Previously, he worked as a manager for Manulife Asset Management's Marketing group, supporting portfolio management with the development of client marketing collateral.

Before joining Manulife Asset Management in 2008, he worked at Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group in Toronto.

He graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

About Manulife Asset Management®

Manulife Asset Management™ is the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial. Manulife Asset Management and its affiliates provide comprehensive asset management solutions for institutional investors and investment funds in key markets around the world. This investment expertise extends across a broad range of asset classes including equity, fixed income and alternative investments such as real estate, timber, farmland, as well as asset allocation strategies.

Manulife Asset Management has offices with full investment capabilities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In addition, it has a joint venture asset management business in China, Manulife TEDA. It also has operations in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay. As at September 30, 2010, assets under management for institutional clients were Cdn$121 billion (US$118 billion). Additional information about Manulife Asset Management can be found at ManulifeAM.com.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 22 countries and territories worldwide. For more than 120 years, clients worldwide have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions.  Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients around the world. We provide asset management services to institutional customers worldwide as well as reinsurance solutions, specializing in life and property and casualty retrocession. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were $474 billion (US$460 billion) as at September 30, 2010. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. 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 Manulife Asset Management

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