Manulife Asset Management Hires New Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio Management Team

- Continues expansion of global debt and equity capabilities

- Third addition of seasoned portfolio managers this year

BOSTON, May 14, 2013 /CNW/ - Manulife Asset Management announced it has added a new Emerging Markets Debt portfolio management team, its third such addition of seasoned portfolio managers in as many months. Effective immediately, Roberto Sanchez-Dahl, CFA, and Paolo H. Valle have joined the firm as Managing Directors and senior portfolio managers; they will be members of Manulife Asset Management's global fixed income team.

They will manage an emerging markets debt strategy for institutional clients and certain wealth management businesses of Manulife Financial and John Hancock, and will report to Christopher Conkey, Global Chief Investment Officer of Manulife Asset Management. The team will also support other global debt strategies investing in emerging market debt.

"We are very pleased to add portfolio managers of the caliber of Roberto and Paolo to our global fixed income team, and welcome them to Manulife Asset Management. Their well-defined investment process and disciplined approach to alpha generation in EM debt represents a strong cultural fit with our investment organization. We believe that emerging markets debt, along with other global debt and equity strategies, will continue to be key areas of interest for our clients and investors, offering diversification and potential for attractive long-term returns," said Mr. Conkey.

Mr. Sanchez-Dahl most recently was with Federated Investment Management Company, since 2001 as an emerging markets senior portfolio manager, and as an investment analyst since 1997. He previously served as an associate in the Credit Department at Goldman Sachs in New York City, from 1994 to 1997. He began his career with Moody's Investors Service in New York. He holds a BS in mechanical electric engineering from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, an associate degree in corporate finance from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, and an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Mr. Valle served, since 2004, as a Vice President at Federated Investment Management and most recently was an emerging markets senior portfolio manager. Previously, he was Chief Investment Officer of Ramirez Asset Management in New York City, from 2001 to 2004. Prior to that, he was a managing partner with Valle Advisors, and a first vice president and Head of the Emerging markets and International Fixed Income group with Merrill Lynch Investment Management, both in Princeton, New Jersey. He holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BS in business administration from the Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru.

The team's disciplined approach has driven proven investment performance. As of March 31, 2013, eVestment ranked their emerging markets debt strategy in the top decile on a three-year basis, and top quartile on a five-year basis when evaluated in the Emerging Markets Fixed Income-Hedged universe ¹.

Manulife Asset Management's new Emerging Markets Debt team is the firm's third addition of portfolio management teams this year, helping to build out the firm's product set and expand the depth and breadth of its global equity and fixed income teams.

About Manulife Asset Management
Manulife Asset Management is the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial. Manulife Asset Management provides comprehensive asset management solutions for institutional investors and investment funds in key markets around the world. Manulife Asset Management also provides investment management services to affiliates' retail clients through product offerings of Manulife and John Hancock. This investment expertise extends across a broad range of asset classes including equity, fixed income and alternative investments such as real estate, timber, farmland, as well as asset allocation strategies.

Manulife Asset Management has offices with full investment capabilities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In addition, it has a joint venture asset management business in China, Manulife TEDA. It also has operations in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay. John Hancock Asset Management, Hancock Natural Resource Group and Declaration Management and Research are units of Manulife Asset Management. As at March 31, 2013, assets under management were C$252 billion. Additional information about Manulife Asset Management can be found at ManulifeAM.com.

About Manulife Financial
Manulife Financial is a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Clients look to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We also provide asset management services to institutional customers. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$555 billion (US$547 billion) as at March 31, 2013. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

¹Note: Past performance is not indicative of future results.

SOURCE: Manulife Asset Management

Beth McGoldrick, 617-663-4751, [email protected]

http://www.manulife.com