Toronto-based Manulife Financial Corp.’s private asset-management arm has announced appointments to three newly created senior positions expected to play key roles in the division’s goal to increase its business significantly over the next five years.
Jenn Lundmark has been named head of real estate fundraising, which was effective June 8, according to a statement from Manulife Asset Management Private Markets. Ken Pogrin is global head of business development and chief operating officer as of June 15. Sahezad Pardhan joined the firm in April as its global chief financial officer. They are all also senior managing directors.
“We are pleased to announce these key hires, rounding out our senior management team,” said Kevin J.E. Adolphe, president and CEO of Manulife Asset Management Private Markets and Manulife Real Estate, in a statement. “Since the launch of [Manulife Asset Management] Private Markets a year and a half ago, we have experienced good traction in the marketplace, laying the foundation for the growth of our business.”
Lundmark will be responsible for expanding relationships with major real estate investors across global markets and directing activities related to the raising of equity capital. Her background includes time spent as vice president in the Chicago office of Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s investment-management division.
Pogrin, in his new role, will oversee the strategic rollout of the private markets business, direct product development across all asset classes, and lead merger and acquisition activities for the business. Prior to his current position, he was senior managing director and chief counsel for Manulife Asset Management in North America and Private Markets globally.
Pardhan will work closely with the private markets businesses in providing financial leadership, setting strategic priorities and driving new initiatives, which include a focus on third-party capital growth. He joins the organization from Oxford Properties Group, the real estate arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System’s pension fund, at which he was most recently vice president of strategy and risk.
Both Lundmark and Pogrin will report to Adolphe while Pardhan will report to both Adolphe and Tim Deacon, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Manulife’s investment division.