CI Mutual Funds Inc. today announced several portfolio management changes, including the appointment of two highly rated Canadian small cap managers.

New to CI’s fund management lineup are accomplished money managers Ted Whitehead, AVP and senior portfolio manager at MFC Global Investment Management (Canada), and John Sartz, president of Viking Capital Corp. Both managers will assume responsibility for several funds effective immediately.

“These appointments are part of CI’s ongoing commitment to offer the best available investment managers,” said Peter Anderson, CI president. “These men are two of Canada’s leading small cap managers and they offer a wealth of expertise and experience in this area.

“We are also strengthening CI’s already impressive lineup of small cap fund managers, which includes Howson Tattersall and UBS Canada.”

In addition, the changes relieve CI’s Signature Funds group of its small cap fund management duties, allowing the team to focus on its core equity and balanced fund mandates, Anderson noted.

Sartz will apply his value approach to Signature Explorer Fund and Signature Explorer Sector Fund (which are being renamed CI Explorer Fund and CI Explorer Sector Fund), Clarica MVP Growth Fund and the Insight Canadian Small Cap Pool. He replaces Robert Lyon of CI’s Signature Funds group.

Sartz has more than three decades of investment industry experience, including the management of Canadian and global small cap funds for Bolton Tremblay Funds and Global Strategy Investment Funds. Most recently, he has managed the Discovery Fund, a pooled fund offered by Viking that focuses on small Canadian companies.

Whitehead will become lead manager of Clarica Growth Fund, Clarica Alpine Growth Equity Fund and their segregated fund equivalents, replacing Robert Lyon. Whitehead has 12 years of investment industry experience, including three years as lead manager of several Canadian small cap funds.

In addition, the CI announced several changes to its the Insight Program. These changes are effective immediately.

Kim Shannon of Sionna Investment Managers Inc. will replace Eric Bushell of CI’s Signature Funds group as lead manager of the Insight Canadian Value Pool.

Derek Webb of Webb Capital Management LLP will become lead manager of the Insight Canadian Growth Pool, replacing Eric Bushell.

Peggy Adams of MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc. will become lead manager of the Insight U.S. Growth Pool, replacing Eric Bushell.

William Priest of Steinberg, Priest & Sloane Capital Management, LLC will become lead manager of the Insight Global Small Cap Pool, replacing Andrew Waight of Signature Funds.