HIRINGS
The 7.3 billion Belgian franc ($213 million) Voorzorgskas voor Geneesheren, Tandartsen en Apothekers vzw, Brussels, hired Aetna Investment Management (Hong Kong) to manage a 685 million franc ($20 million) Pacific Basin ex-Japan equity portfolio.
The Belgian Pension Fund for Doctors, Dentists and Pharmacists is expected to hire next a Japanese equity manager for a mandate of undetermined size.
Pragma Consulting was the consultant.
Unigard Insurance Group, Bellevue, Wash., hired two managers for its $30 million 401(k) plan, said Theodore R. Olson, manager-investment department.
Dodge & Cox will run a balanced portfolio, and Brandes Investment Partners will ran an international equity portfolio. The plan is retaining its two previous investment choices, an actively managed domestic equity fund run by Columbia Management and a GIC fund run in-house with contracts from Prudential and New York Life.
Prime Investment Advisors assisted in the searches.
The C$53 million Alberta Energy Co. pension fund, Calgary, Alberta, dropped Managed Investments, said Donald E. Smallwood, manager-human resources services.
The balanced portfolio, which was about C$5 million, was transferred the fund's other existing balanced manager, Integra Capital Management, making it the sole manager for the fund. The fund didn't use a consultant to assist in the change.
Mechanical Industries Inc., Milwaukee, hired Strong Funds to provide investment and other services to its $1.7 million 401(k) plan. Investment options for the plans are six diversified Strong mutual funds plus GICs from the New England. Strong provides quarterly valued record keeping, administration, an automated voice response system, employee communications and participant investment education, said Ida Winters, human resources manager. M.J. Corp. is the plan's trustee.
The plan previously used bundled, quarterly valued services from Prudential, including five Pru investment options.
