Manulife Adds U.S. Small Cap Equity Team

The team will be led by Bill Talbot, CFA, senior managing director and senior portfolio manager. Its members include Joseph Nowinski, managing director and portfolio manager; Travis Schaftenaar, CFA, CPA, director and senior investment analyst; and Vikram Kaura, director and senior investment analyst. The team will report to Christopher Conkey, global chief investment officer, and be based in Chicago, Illinois.  

Talbot, a 24-year industry veteran, joins Manulife Asset Management from UBS, where he focused on U.S. small cap investing. Prior to UBS, he invested in private debt and equity for the Travelers Companies. He is a graduate of Trinity College and obtained an M.B.A. from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.  

Nowinski also joins from UBS, where he was co-portfolio manager of the U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio. Prior to joining UBS in 2005, Nowinski spent six years with Citigroup Global Asset Management as a senior equity analyst, covering the retail, health care services, and real estate investment trust (REIT) sectors. He is a graduate of DePaul University.  

Schaftenaar was with UBS prior to joining Manulife Asset Management, working on small cap analysis of the health care sector, including pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and biotechnology. Prior to joining UBS in 2004, he worked for Lincoln Capital Management, where he analyzed the retail and consumer products industries. Schaftenaar also worked in public accounting as a CPA for six years. He obtained a BA from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.