BoA Unit Recruits Distribution Chief

Columbia Management, the investment management arm of Bank of America, named the co-president of Robeco Investment Management its head of distribution.

Michael A. Jones is to assume the newly created post in mid-November. The company said he will oversee institutional and intermediary distribution for the Boston-based investment manager.

Though Jones will have overall responsibility for both sales channels, there is no plan to merge the two. The institutional and intermediary sales teams will continue to operate with relative independence.

Jones was co-president and senior managing director at Robeco, a New York investment firm. He also was on its management committee and was chairman of its product review committee. Previously, he was the chief operating officer at Boston Partners Asset Management from 1995 to 2002.

Columbia Management had $517 billion of assets under management as of Sept. 30.