Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC) Monday announced the expansion of its global third party private asset management business.
The business unit, Manulife Asset Management Private markets, will bring together specialized private asset teams that currently manage funds for third party investors, as well as provide investors access to Manulife‘s other specialized private asset investment teams that historically have primarily served its general fund.
“We have invested successfully in these private asset classes for decades and our investment teams are among the most experienced in the business,” said Warren Thomson, senior executive vice president and chief investment officer, Manulife Financial and chairman, Manulife Asset Management.
“We see a tremendous opportunity to develop customized solutions for clients that wish to invest in private asset classes,” Thomson added.
Manulife Financial manages $74 billion of private market investments out of its total funds under management of $575 billion. Collectively, these private assets span across private placement debt, commercial mortgages, timberland, farmland, real estate, private equity and mezzanine debt, oil and gas and power and infrastructure assets.
The new business unit will be headed by Kevin Adolphe, president and CEO, Manulife Asset Management Private Markets.
“One of our key priorities will be to leverage Manulife’s investment expertise in multiple private asset classes to manage funds for third parties,” said Adolphe. “To accomplish this, we plan to expand our asset management activities by building on the success achieved by our Hancock Natural Resource Group, in serving the needs of investors globally.”