Odds & Ends - March 20, 2009
March 20, 2009
*The $7 billion Maine Public Employees Retirement System has named Sandra Matheson as executive director, effective April 1. She takes over from John Milazzo, the plan's deputy CEO and general counsel, who has filled the position in the interim since Gail Drake Wright retired in February. Matheson currently serves as director of Washington's Department of Retirement Systems (DRS), which oversees $51 billion, and she sits on the $75 billion Washington State Investment Board. Steve Hill, director of the Washington Health Care Authority (WHCA) will take over for Matheson, as the DRS and WHCA agencies prepare to merge.
*Hedge fund firm Armajaro Asset Management has appointed Michel Danechi as the portfolio manager of the soon-to-be-launched Armajaro Emerging Markets Fund, which will focus on investments in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Armajaro, Danechi was at Lehman Brothers International, where he served as head of emerging markets trading in London.
*Harris Alternatives has changed its name to Aurora Investment Management. The intent of the name-change was to more clearly link the firm to its flagship Aurora fund and to differentiate the firm from Harris Associates.
*Dean Sackett and Donald Auerbach have been named chief government affairs officers at the Investment Company Institute, where they will lead the institute's outreach to policymakers on issues of importance to investment companies.
*MFS Investment Management has named Ravi Venkataraman as senior managing director of global consultant relations, a new position, in which he will report to Carol Geremia, president of MFS' institutional division. Venkataraman joins from Mercer, where he served as president and worldwide partner in the firm's U.S. asset management division.
*The $93.2 billion Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has named Michael Sabia president and CEO. He takes over from Fernand Perreault, who has served in the interim since Richard Guay left the position for health reasons. Sabia was CFO of Canadian National Railway before joining the plan. Earlier he served as CEO of Bell Canada Enterprises.
*Capula Investment Management has named Suresh Sundaresan head of research, a new position in which he will focus on developing risk management processes and investment research. Prior to joining Capula, Sundaresan was the Chase Manhattan Bank Professor of Economics and Finance at Columbia University and chairman of the university's finance department.
*Christian Delaire has been chosen to succeed Francois Pochard as CEO of AEW Europe once Pochard's term with the real estate investment management company has ended. Delaire was most recently global head of fund management at AXA Real Estate Investment Managers.
*Arden Asset Management has named Matthew Bianco, previously executive director of risk at the firm, head of risk. He replaces Alan Brik, who is leaving the hedge-fund-of-funds industry.
*Carmel Partners has named Quinn Barton as a managing partner, where he will expand the firm's debt business in its newly opened New York office. Prior to joining Carmel, Barton was managing director and head of CMBS trading at Bank of America.
*Evergreen Investments' executive managing director and head of institutional international distribution, Patrick O'Brien, has decided to leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. As Evergreen is in the process of being merged with Wells Fargo, O'Brien will not be replaced.
Odds & Ends is a compilation of reported news from a variety of sources. The information in this section is assumed to be reliable, but all information should be confirmed, as IMW does not guarantee its accuracy.
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