Managing Director, Investor Relations, Agriculture

Managing Director / Assistant Vice President, Head of Investor Relations, Agriculture

Manulife Investment Management (“Manulife IM”) is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation (“MFC” or “Manulife”). Manulife Private Markets is a ~US$81 billion and growing business unit within Manulife IM that develops and sells private asset investment capabilities to institutional and retail clients globally. The Manulife IM Global Agriculture Team manages investments and investors across an agriculture platform that continues to grow and evolve.  Today, the Global Agriculture Team manages nearly US$4.4 billion of capital for investors which include insurance companies (including the Manulife General Account), endowments, pension plans, and family offices.

In a role that is critical to the success of Agriculture’s fundraising efforts globally, we are seeking a seasoned leader who can drive fundraising strategy and execution and contribute to existing and new fundraising processes. The role will drive investor calls and meetings, and manage a team to support project management, database management, technical editing/writing, and data analysis. The ideal candidate will have deep experience in the Agriculture industry in an investor relations support capacity, is proactive and effective in working in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment, and can build partnerships cross-functionally. The candidate will report to the Global Head of Agriculture and will work directly with various teams including the Agriculture investment teams, global business development teams, content management, project management, legal, and compliance.

The successful candidate will a long history of success leading fundraising across natural capital platforms. We expect this role to drive tremendous impact as we seek to build and maintain trusted partnerships with some of the world’s most sophisticated institutional investors.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate’s primary responsibilities will include:

• Proactively manage investor relationships for Manulife IM Agriculture, executing on strategies to raise investor awareness and understanding of the business.
• Understand and assess investor sentiment and implement programs to take advantage of market momentum and address issues.
• Be able to effectively articulate Manulife IM Agriculture’s strategy to stakeholders, including new transaction activity and existing portfolio updates.
• Coordinate and actively participate in quarter-end activities and communications with investors.
• Actively engage in the formulation of key messaging to the market and be an effective communicator of this messaging both verbally and in written format.
• Plan and be responsible for regularly recurring investor events, such as the annual investor conference.
• Lead written responses to topical items relevant to the business and be able to communicate the firm’s views internally and externally.
• Execute on strategic initiatives within the group and support new fundraising initiatives.
• Actively coordinate co-investment syndication processes.

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies:

•  Bachelor’s degree with a major in business/ finance.
• 10+ years financial services experience with 5+ years’ private equity experience including direct client service and marketing support responsibility.
• Knowledge of alternative asset classes, in particular agriculture. Understanding of the private equity industry, limited partner client service expectations, and the agriculture fund marketing process
• Experience working with alternative investment consultants and the RFP questionnaire response process.
• Sensitive and tactful handling of confidential information.
• Ability to effectively prioritize a large set of responsibilities and manage projects from start to finish.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Strong oral and written communication skills necessary to clearly and accurately interact with sophisticated institutional investors as well as internal team members in an effective, professional, and friendly manner.
• Ability to travel, both within the US and internationally.
• This position will involve obtaining Series 7 and Series 63 licensing. 

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html