As at December 31, 2010, Optique’s mutual fund and separate account assets under management were approximately $800m.
In addition, former Optique Capital’s eight member team will join Manulife Asset Management to form a new equity team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The team will be led by Wendell Perkins, senior managing director and senior portfolio manager, Margaret McKay and Edward Marraccini, both managing directors and portfolio managers, and will report to Christopher Conkey, chief investment officer, global equities, Manulife Asset Management.
Conkey said that the team will bring their disciplined, consistent, value equity philosophy and decision-making process to managing international value strategies for John Hancock Funds, through the John Hancock Asset Management division, as well as for Manulife Asset Management’s institutional clients.
Perkins has been responsible for equity research, strategy and implementation at Optique Capital and was a founding member of the management team which established Optique through the buyout of Johnson Asset Management from Johnson Financial Group in December 2007.
McKay has been jointly responsible for overall portfolio management and equity research at Optique Capital and was also a founding member of the management team which led the buyout of Johnson Asset Management from Johnson Financial Group.
Marraccini has been jointly responsible for overall portfolio management as well as equity research at Optique Capital and was a founding member of the management team which led the buyout of Johnson Asset Management.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
