Transamerica Hires Skipper For Large-Growth Products
Citing a boom in its assets under management, Transamerica Investment Management has hired Christopher M. Ericksen as a portfolio manager.
Ericksen, who will report to Jeff Van Harte, Transamerica's head of equity investments, comes to the firm from Goldman Sachs, where he was a vice president focusing on the U.S. equity markets in the firm's funds-of-funds. The Carnegie Mellon graduate is a chartered financial analyst with more than 10 years of industry experience.
Ericksen will manage portfolios in several Transamerica large-growth products for a firm that has seen its assets under management leap 35% in the past year from $14 billion to $19 billion. Transamerica is a member of the AEGON Group.
Lord Abbett Promotes Five Executives to Partner
Lord Abbett & Co. has named Milton Ezrati, Gerard S.E. Heffernan, Jr., Jerald M. Lanzotti, Richard C. Larsen and Michael L. Radziemski partners.
Ezrati, who has worked in the investment industry for more than 33 years, is currently the company's senior economic and market strategist. He came to Lord Abbett in 2000 after serving as head of investing for Nomura Asset Management's American interests. Other firms he has worked for include Manufacturers Hanover and Chase.
Heffernan, Lord Abbett's micro-cap value and small-cap value portfolio manager, came to the company in 1998 from CL Capital Management and has also worked at Confederation Life Insurance Co. A chartered financial analyst, Heffernan has been in the business for over 15 years.
Lanzotti, another company portfolio manager, is an eight-year veteran of Lord Abbett. He specializes in global fixed income and has been in the business for almost 15 years. He also is a CFA.
Larsen, a research analyst for Lord Abbett's large-cap value team, has worked in investment management for more than 33 years. He came to Lord Abbett 20 years ago from First Manhattan Co., where he served as a limited partner and senior analyst.
Lastly, Radziemski, the company's chief information officer, joined Lord Abbett in 2003. He previously worked for Citigroup.
"Remaining a private, independent management firm is an integral part of Lord Abbett's culture," said Managing Partner Robert Dow. The company now has 50 partners, 650 employees, and, as of Sept. 30, $83 billion in assets under management.
UMB Hires Orr for Sales, Leonhardt as Fund COO
UMB Investment Services Group has hired Stephen Leonhardt to serve as chief operating officer of the company's mutual fund arm and Darcy Orr to sell the firm's technology services in the New England area.
Leonhardt's position as COO of UMB Fund Services will have him oversee accounting and administrative services from an office in Milwaukee. Also, according to President and CEO Vince Ciavardini, Leonhardt will be "charged with making sure UMB Fund Services is delivering the highest-quality investment services offerings to our clients in the most responsive manner possible each day."
Throughout his 20-year career, Leonhardt has worked at Scudder Kemper, Sungard and John Nuveen & Co.
Orr, who comes to UMB after working at Brown Brothers Harriman and State Street Corp., will work out of Boston and be responsible for introducing the company's new technology to the industry.
