BoA Asset Unit Hires Global Equity Exec

Columbia Management, Bank of America's investment management arm, has hired Frederick Copper to be head of its international equities team.

Based in Boston, Copper will be responsible for the investment management activities of the international equities team, which manages more than $1.5 billion.

He is to be the lead portfolio manager for the Columbia International Stock Fund and Columbia International Stock Fund, Variable Series as well as the international sleeve of Columbia Asset Allocation Fund and Liberty Asset Allocation Fund. He also has been named to the portfolio management team of Columbia World Equity Fund.

Copper was a senior vice president at Putnam Investments in Boston and a co-manager of $1.5 billion of international and global value portfolios, as well as lead manager for a small-cap value portfolio and a member of the global value portfolio management team.

Previously, he was an assistant vice president at Wellington Management Co. for four years and earlier worked at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. and New England Pension Consultants.

Columbia Management had $320.4 billion of assets under management at June 30.