Michael E. Annin and Mark Kowalczyk brought a team of six others from Ibbotson Associates to staff a new asset allocation unit at Mesirow Financial. The team will develop proprietary asset allocation research and models, subadviser and fund selection, investment strategy and consulting services for other money managers, such as insurance, mutual fund, broker-dealer and bundled 401(k) plan service providers, said James C. Tyree, Mesirow chairman and CEO. Messrs. Annin and Kowalczyk are managing directors. Other members of the team are Christopher O'Neill, Scott Majeski and Brian Nash, vice presidents; Christopher Anast, senior consultant; Jonathan Dues, regional manager; and Janis Zvingelis, senior research consultant. At Ibbotson, Mr. Annin was managing director, investment management services; Mr. Kowalczyk was managing director, sales and marketing; Mr. O'Neill and Ms. Zvingelis were research consultants; Mr. Majeski was vice president, investment management services; Mr. Nash was regional manager; Mr. Anast was consultant; and Mr. Dues was account manager. Michael Henkel, president of Ibbotson, declined to say whether the eight will be directly replaced; four openings remain to be filled in the research and consulting areas.
Karen McQuiston, senior vice president for long-duration bonds at JPMorgan Asset Management, left to join Goldman Sachs, confirmed Jacqueline Meere, spokeswoman at JPMorgan. She will be a vice president. JPMorgan is searching for Ms. McQuiston's replacement. Gia Morone, spokeswoman at Goldman Sachs, could not provide details on Ms. McQuiston's new post.
Ronnie Jung, executive director, was appointed interim CIO of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Austin, at a board meeting May 12. Former CIO James R. Hille left the fund May 1 to become CIO of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. The $100 billion system also formally created a committee to choose an executive search firm to find a permanent CIO, said spokesman Howard Goldman. The search committee will meet before the next full board meeting, scheduled for June 8-9, to select a firm, Mr. Goldman said. System officials issued an RFP for a search firm on April 17, and responses were due May 1. At the May 12 board meeting, trustees also approved a resolution making the CIO eligible for up to 75% of his or her base salary as a performance incentive.
Anne B. Popkin was named managing director and head of Americas marketing and client service for Lehman Brothers' absolute-return strategies. The position is new, said Randall Whitestone, a spokesman. Ms. Popkin will oversee distribution of proprietary and third-party single-manager hedge funds, multistrategy hedge funds and hedge funds of funds. She will report to Jolyne Caruso, managing director and head of Lehman's global absolute return strategies unit, and Eric Johnson, managing director and global head of institutional asset management. Ms. Popkin was a director at Financial Risk Management, where she focused on client and consultant relationship management. FRM spokeswoman Kathleen M. Merrigan said Ms. Popkin will not be replaced; her duties have been assumed by other members of the client services team.
