[BOSTON] – Manulife Investment Management (“Manulife IM”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brent McGowan as Global Head and Chief Investment Officer of Agriculture, where he will lead the agriculture business, focusing on growth and performance.

Brent brings 30 years of experience in the food and agricultural industry into the role. Most recently, he was Chief Operating Officer for Novus Ag. In addition to his responsibilities at Novus, Brent worked with a private equity firm where he performed diligence on new acquisitions. Prior to that role, he was Global Head of Agricultural Operations at Manulife IM where he was responsible for managing health, safety, environmental, and risk objectives while meeting client needs and maintaining internal profitability.

“Brent’s return is a tremendous positive for our platform, team, and clients," said Anne Valentine Andrews, Global Head of Private Markets, Manulife Investment Management. "Brent’s background in agricultural operations and leadership will cultivate new opportunities for investors and help to drive transformational change to enhance our portfolio.”  

During his past tenure at Manulife IM, Brent was pivotal in providing strategic leadership for the firm’s agricultural operations. Brent fostered trusted relationships and spearheaded transformation efforts for the business. To ensure a smooth transition, Oliver Williams, Manulife IM’s former Global Head of Agriculture Investments, will move into a strategic advisor role and collaborate closely with Brent with a focus on investment strategy and execution.

"Brent's extensive experience, coupled with the knowledge of Manulife IM and our clients gained while here, are invaluable to this role," said Mr. Williams, "His insights are instrumental in navigating the complexities of the agricultural industry, and his ability to drive strategic initiatives is essential as we continue to expand our portfolio. I look forward to working with him to position the platform for continuous long-term growth and success."

As one of the world’s leading natural capital investment managers,¹ Manulife IM’s US$4.2 billion agricultural business brings customized, vertically integrated, sustainable agricultural investment solutions across a variety of commodity types and geographies to investors worldwide.² With more than 30 years of agricultural investing experience and 400,000 acres under management it operates and invests in Australia, Canada, Chile and the United States.²  The firm continues to prioritize bringing additional private markets solutions to both institutional and retail investors to help them achieve their long-term investment goals.

“It’s a privilege to lead this team and I am invigorated by the depth of talent and expertise here,” said Mr. McGowan. “There is a deep passion at Manulife IM for the communities that we are privileged to work with to bring nutrition to tables around the world. I admire the business’s steadfast commitment to responsibly steward farmland and produce sustainable food and fiber to deliver performance to clients, and I am excited to contribute in a meaningful way to the future of the platform.”

Find more information on Manulife Investment Management Agriculture capabilities here.

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1 IPE research, as of January 24, 2025. Ranking is based on total natural capital assets under management (AUM), which include forestry/timberland and agriculture/farmland AUM. Firms were asked to provide AUM and the as of dates vary from December 31, 2023, to December 31, 2024. 2 As of December 31, 2024.

About Manulife Wealth & Asset Management 

As part of Manulife Financial Corporation, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management provides global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering people today to invest for a better tomorrow. As a committed partner to our clients and as a responsible steward of investor capital, we offer a heritage of risk management, deep expertise across public and private markets, and comprehensive retirement plan services. We seek to provide better investment and impact outcomes and to help people confidently save and invest for a more secure financial future. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.