Colin Purdie, CFA, has been appointed as the new Chief Investment Officer for Public Markets at Manulife Investment Management. He is set to join the firm on December 1, 2023, succeeding Christopher P. Conkey, CFA, who plans to retire at the end of 2024 after a distinguished 13-year tenure with the company and a notable career spanning over 40 years in asset management.
Mr. Conkey initially joined Manulife in 2010 as the Chief Investment Officer for Global Equities. Over the years, he assumed leadership roles, taking on responsibility for Global Fixed Income in 2013 and the Multi-Asset Solutions team in 2015. In 2017, he was appointed as the Global CIO and Head of Public Markets, contributing significantly to the formation of the firm's global wealth and asset management segment. His leadership has played a crucial role in the growth of assets managed by the public markets division.
In his role as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for Public Markets, Mr. Colin Purdie will assume leadership of the investment team, overseeing all facets of the public markets investment processes and the performance of equity, fixed-income, and solutions-oriented strategies. Additionally, he will be responsible for shaping and executing the firm's investment philosophy, risk management strategy, and the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Reporting to Paul Lorentz, Mr. Purdie will be stationed in London.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for Public Markets at Manulife Investment Management, Mr. Colin Purdie accumulated over a decade of experience at Aviva Investors. His roles at Aviva included serving as Chief Investment Officer for Liquid Markets, where he led global teams in credit, equities, multi-asset and macro, ESG, and trading. His diverse experience at Aviva also encompassed roles such as Chief Investment Officer for Credit, Global Head of Investment-Grade Credit, and Portfolio Manager for Institutional Credit. Before Aviva, he held positions at Aegon Asset Management, Charles Stanley (Sutherlands), and the UK Financial Services Authority. In recognition of his achievements, Mr. Purdie was honored with the European CIO of the Year Award from Funds Europe in 2022, with particular acknowledgment for Aviva's ESG integration initiatives.
Source: Manulife Investment Management
