HONG KONG - Manulife Investment Management today announced that Marc Franklin has joined as Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager, Asset Allocation.  Based in Hong Kong, Marc reports to Luke Browne, Senior Managing Director and Head of Asset Allocation, Asia.  With Marc’s appointment, Manulife Investment Management’s Multi-Asset Solutions Team now boasts a total of 10 solutions professionals in Asia and a global franchise of over 55, making it one of the largest in the region and benefitting from global reach.

The appointment further highlights Manulife Investment Management’s commitment to adding investment talent in support of its ambitious growth plans in Asia.  Leveraging his extensive experience across outcome-oriented strategies, Marc’s primary focus will be the management of cross-asset class portfolios and solutions tailored to client outcomes including benchmark relative, peer relative, risk managed and total return strategies.   

“Marc brings a wealth of experience which will complement the existing talent we have across the team and further support the growth ambitions of the Multi-Asset Solutions Team in the delivery of cross-asset, multi-discipline, investment solutions across client channels including institutional, retirement and retail,” said Luke Browne, Senior Managing Director and Head of Asset Allocation, Asia, Manulife Investment Management.  “Marc will be a key decision maker in portfolios spanning our offering to deliver successful investment outcomes to our clients and addressing their evolving investment needs.”   

Marc has 14 years of investment industry experience, most recently as Head of Flexible Multi Asset for NN Investment Partners in the Netherlands. In this role, his team was responsible for overseeing a range of flexible absolute return, total return, and benchmark relative global multi asset funds and mandates across securities based and fund-of-funds strategies.

Michael Dommermuth, Head of Wealth and Asset Management, Asia, Manulife Investment Management, said, “Asia has the most diverse demographics as a region, ranging from aged economies to young, thriving ones, which renders a wide spectrum of demographic dividend and differing investment needs.  Outcome-oriented, multi-asset solutions has a pivotal role to play in meeting these diverse needs.  We are very pleased with Marc’s joining as he will be a key addition to our sizable Asia multi-asset solutions team in delivering such customized offerings.” 

As an integral member of the portfolio management team, Marc will also contribute to strategy development and innovation.  Paul Kalogirou, Managing Director, Global Multi-Asset Solutions, Client Portfolio Manager, commented, “Marc’s prior experience will bring further cross-asset insights and enhanced discussions around portfolio implementation and outcome orientated solutions for the Manulife Investment Management institutional and retail client base. Our Multi-Asset Solutions Team remains committed to focusing on cross-asset solutions that aim to meet the ever-evolving investment challenges for our clients.”