Westfield (Mass.) Contributory Retirement System hired Wasatch Advisors to run an undetermined amount of assets in active international small-cap equities, confirmed Raymond Depelteau, chief investment officer of the $150 million pension fund.
The pension fund issued an RFP in August for managers to run a combined $30 million in active international small-cap, international core and emerging markets equity. Emerging markets equity finalists Fisher Investments, Wells Capital Management and BlackRock will be interviewed in November and core EAFE managers in December, Mr. Depelteau said in an e-mail.
The pension fund is shifting its international equity portfolio to active from passive. Funding is coming from State Street Global Advisors, which currently manages 15% of plan assets in an MSCI EAFE index fund and 6% in an MSCI Emerging Markets index fund.