Private equity & credit team

Vipon is responsible for the team that oversees global private equity, junior credit, secondaries, and private credit investments. ​He joined the firm in 2002 and has more than two decades of experience in private equity, four years in corporate and investment banking, and three years of operational experience. Vipon has served as a board director on several public and private companies in the United States and Canada, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Management Accountant, and Certified Public Accountant designations. 

• Education: B.B.A., Wilfrid Laurier University 
• Joined the company: 2002
• Began career: 1991

Rajiv is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and monitoring junior credit and private equity investments. Prior to joining Manulife Capital—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—in 2002, he was with KPMG, where he provided valuation and transaction advisory services primarily to private equity investors. Additionally, Rajiv has served as a director on the boards of several companies and on advisory boards of investment funds in Canada and the United States. Rajiv holds the Chartered Business Valuator, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Chartered Professional Accountant designations.

• Education: B.Com., University of Toronto
• Joined the company: 2002
• Began career: 1998

Scott has overall responsibility for the firm’s North American junior credit, private equity funds, and equity co-investment programs. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at FinanStar Group, a boutique investment bank. Scott’s background also includes numerous merger-and-acquisition assignments and corporate finance transactions while serving in Wachovia’s capital markets group.

• Education: B.A., Economics, Williams College; M.B.A., Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
• Joined the company: 2002
• Began career: 1988

Jeff joined Manulife Investment Management in 2019 as global co-head of secondaries. Along with Paul Sanabria, Jeff leads the global secondaries business focused on general partner-led and special situation transactions, and partners with private equity, private credit, and secondary fund sponsors. Previously, he was co-head of Houlihan Lokey’s illiquid financial assets practice, a unit he co-founded and built into the leading investment banking group focused on customized transactions for holders of illiquid securities. Prior to that role, Jeff was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns, where he founded, built, and co-led Private Equity Advisors, the private equity fund-of-funds and secondary investing unit of Bear Stearns Asset Management. Earlier, he co-founded BDC Financial, a firm that provided customized private equity investment management and advisory services to institutional and high-net-worth investors. Earlier in his career, he held investment banking positions at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

• Education: A.B. in Politics, Princeton University; M.B.A., Harvard University
• Joined the company: 2019
• Began career: 1985

Paul joined Manulife Investment Management in 2019 as global co-head of secondaries. Along with Jeff Hammer, Paul leads the global secondaries business focused on general partner-led and special situation transactions, and partners with private equity, private credit, and secondary fund sponsors. Previously, he was co-head of Houlihan Lokey’s illiquid financial assets practice, a unit he co-founded and built into the leading investment group focused on customized transactions for holders of illiquid securities. Prior to that role, Paul was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns, where he acquired and led the private funds group responsible for originating new third-party fundraising mandates. In addition, he founded and co-led the private equity fund and secondary investing unit. Earlier, he co-founded BDC Financial, a firm that provided customized private equity investment management and advisory services to institutional and high-net-worth investors.

• Education: B.S. in Engineering, California State University-Sacramento; M.B.A., Harvard University
• Joined the company: 2019
• Began career: 1985

Josh co-leads Manulife Investment Management’s junior credit business, which focuses on providing subordinated and second-lien debt and structured equity solutions to private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. He joined Hancock Capital Management—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—in 2004 and the firm’s private equity and credit group in 2007. He spent the first three years of his career on John Hancock’s North American corporate finance transportation team. Josh holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

• Education: B.S., Finance, Babson College
• Joined the company: 2004
• Began career: 2004

Matt co-leads Manulife Investment Management’s junior credit business, which focuses on providing subordinated and second-lien debt and structured equity solutions to private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. He joined Hancock Capital Management—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—in 2013. Previously, he was vice president at Pomona Capital, where he focused on private equity secondary and co-investment opportunities. Earlier in his career, Matt held investment positions at AlpInvest Partners and Prudential Capital Group.

• Education: B.S., Finance and Accounting, Boston College; M.B.A., Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Joined the company: 2013
• Began career: 2003

Devon is responsible for managing the senior credit business of Manulife Investment Management. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, when it operated as Hancock Capital Management, he spent 12 years at Madison Capital Funding. At Madison Capital, he served as a leader and member of the executive and investment committees and was responsible for strategic and capital market activities, including loan syndications, third-party asset management, and joint ventures for the firm’s mezzanine and unitranche credit products. Prior to joining Madison Capital, Devon spent 9 years at Banc of America Securities, where he served as a senior structurer in the sponsor leveraged finance group and a loan syndications structurer supporting the middle market group and the media/telecommunications group.

• Education: B.A. in Economics and Political Science, Indiana University; M.B.A., Indiana University
• Joined the company: 2016
• Began career: 1994

Richard is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and monitoring private equity fund investments. He was previously responsible for transaction execution and portfolio monitoring of direct equity and mezzanine investments. Prior to joining Manulife Capital—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—he gained four years of experience in senior lending with GE Capital and six years of experience in private equity and mezzanine investments with McKenna Gale Capital. He began his career in investment banking with Scotia Capital. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

• Education: B.B.A, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Joined company: 2015
• Began career: 2002

Scott has overall responsibility for the firm’s North American junior credit, private equity funds, and equity co-investment programs. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at FinanStar Group, a boutique investment bank. Scott’s background also includes numerous merger-and-acquisition assignments and corporate finance transactions while serving in Wachovia’s capital markets group.

• Education: B.A., Economics, Williams College; M.B.A., Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
• Joined the company: 2002
• Began career: 1988

Rajiv is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and monitoring junior credit and private equity investments. Prior to joining Manulife Capital—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—in 2002, he was with KPMG, where he provided valuation and transaction advisory services primarily to private equity investors. Additionally, Rajiv has served as a director on the boards of several companies and on advisory boards of investment funds in Canada and the United States. Rajiv holds the Chartered Business Valuator, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Chartered Professional Accountant designations.

• Education: B.Com., University of Toronto
• Joined the company: 2002
• Began career: 1998

Brian is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and monitoring junior credit and private equity investments. Prior to joining Hancock Capital Management—now operating as Manulife Investment Management—in 2011, he was with Bain as a member of the private equity group, where he worked with clients to evaluate investment opportunities and drive strategic and operational changes at portfolio companies. Prior to that, he was a senior analyst in the transaction advisory services practice at Ernst & Young. Brian holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

• Education: B.A., Economics, Bucknell University; M.B.A., The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
• Joined the company: 2011
• Began career: 2003