
Hancock Natural Resource Group (HNRG), the global institutional investment manager of farmland, timber and energy assets, has appointed a new president, Bill Peressini.
Peressini will continue in his role of chief financial officer at HNRG, which is a Manulife Asset Management Private Markets subsidiary, until the end of September when Wilfred Steiner, currently managing director Australasia and director international finance, will take over. Peressini is replacing Dan Christensen who will continue as chief executive.
“Bill has been an invaluable member of the Hancock Natural Resource Group since joining us in 2011,” said Christensen in a press release. “As CFO, he has, of course, been involved in all aspects of our business, but he played a vital role in the … development of our integrated farmland investment management platform through our acquisition of Farmland Management Services, our agricultural property management organisation.”
Before joining HNRG, Peressini was in senior management at Stimson Lumber Company, an integrated forest products company, and PacifiCorp, an energy and telecommunications company.
As MD of Australasia, Steiner worked on major timberland transactions in Australia, Chile and New Zealand, according to the release.
Hancock also added two analysts – Manisha Bicchieri joined as portfolio analyst to assist with portfolio management, investment analysis and client reporting for HAIG’s institutional farmland investment programme, and Katherine Harkness joined as investment analyst, assisting with portfolio management, investment analysis, and acquisitions. Both previously worked for Farm Credit East, ACA.
HNRG manages $13.8 billion in assets across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and the US.