The asset management arm of Canada's Manulife made the hire as part of a double addition to its distribution team.

Manulife Asset Management has appointed Marco Zanuso as head of distribution for Europe (excluding the UK), Middle East and Africa.

Based in London, he will report to Claude Chene, the firm's global head of distribution. Zanuso was previously head of business development, EMEA, at Sandell Asset Management. He has 17 years of sales and product development experience in the investment sector, having held senior roles at FRM (Man Group), SEI Investments, and Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.

“His appointment marks another milestone in the expansion of our global distribution, and we look forward to much success as he and his team establish strategic partnerships across the region,” said Chene.

In other movements, James Wheeler will relocate from Manulife Asset Management's Hong Kong office to London in July. Reporting to Zanuso, he will oversee business development in the Nordics and the Netherlands as head of sales and relationship management in those regions.

As of the end of 2015, Manulife Asset Management looked after around $301 billion in assets.