Conning Acquired by Italian Insurer Generali

Conning Holdings Ltd., a unit of Taiwan-based Cathay Life Insurance Co. Ltd., is being acquired by Italy’s expansion-minded insurer Assicurazioni Generali SpA, also known as the Generali Group. Cathay assumed control of Conning, an asset manager with a strong presence in insurance, in 2015.

The deal involves no upfront cash, but instead gives Cathay a 16.75% stake in Generali. Woody Bradford, Conning’s CEO and chair, will stay in those roles, and Generali indicated Conning would continue to operate autonomously.

Bradford said in a statement that the transaction creates a “highly complementary business combination that presents exceptional long-term opportunities for Conning and our affiliates.”

The addition of Conning (assets: $157 billion as of the end of March) will “enhance our asset management capabilities, strengthen our footprint in the key U.S. and Asian markets, and create a platform to deliver on our broader asset management strategic ambitions,” Generali CEO Philippe Donnet said in the statement.

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Generali’s stock slipped 2.3% on the announcement of the deal Thursday, although it still is ahead 16% for the year. The insurer’s stock, typical of many financial companies nowadays, has a thrifty price/earnings ratio of just under 10.

Founded in 1912 in Hartford, Connecticut, Conning has had numerous other owners over the years, including MetLife, Swiss Reinsurance and Aquiline Capital Partners. Conning has been on an acquisition drive of its own, buying a bond insurance unit from Brookfield Investment Management in 2014 and Danish asset management firm Global Evolution in 2020.

The Conning deal will boost Generali’s assets to $845 billion. In recent years, Generali has scooped up other asset managers, notably France’s Sycomore Asset Management, and now plans to expand into the U.S. with the Conning acquisition.

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Tags: Acquisition, Cathay Life Insurance, Conning, Generali, insurance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Philippe Donnet, Woody Bradford

Manulife Investment Management has named Colin Purdie as its CIO for public markets, effective December 1. He will succeed Christopher Conkey, who will switch roles in anticipation of his retirement at the end of 2024 after more than 40 years in asset management, including 13 years with the firm.

Purdie will join Manulife Investment Management from Aviva Investors, where he is CIO of liquid markets and leads teams among credit, equities, multi-asset and macro, ESG and trading. He also served as CIO of credit; as global head of investment-grade credit; and as an institutional credit portfolio manager. Before Aviva, Purdie was an investment manager at Aegon Asset Management. Prior to that, he was a fixed-income broker at Charles Stanley.

“After 13 wonderful years with Aviva Investors I have decided that now is the time for a new challenge,” Purdie wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I am very much looking forward to getting to know the global public markets team at Manulife Investment Management and building on the success that my predecessor, Chris Conkey, has driven over the past number of years.”

In his new role, Purdie will lead the investment team and oversee all aspects of the public markets investment process, including the investment performance of its equity, fixed-income and solutions-oriented strategies. He will also be in charge of developing and implementing the company’s investment philosophy, risk management approach and environmental, social and governance integration. Purdie will be based in London, reporting to Manulife Investment Management President and CEO Paul Lorentz.

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“We’re excited to have Colin join us and are deeply appreciative of Chris’ outstanding contributions to our business,” Lorentz said in a release. “With Chris’ leadership and guidance, we established a foundation of pursuing consistent returns through both market growth and volatility and expanded our solutions through organic team builds and acquisitions, while also integrating ESG factors into our listed equity and fixed-income portfolios.”

According to the firm, Conkey will become a special adviser to the CEO when Purdie officially joins, focusing on the leadership transition and then shifting to special projects within public markets and the broader organization.

“I’m proud of what we’ve delivered to clients over the past 13 years, and I’m confident that Colin will continue to build on the foundation that’s been established for our teams and our investors,” Conkey said in the release.