In the U.S., IMS has been responsible for the selection and review of investment managers for John Hancock for more than a decade, and in Canada, the IMS team in Toronto has performed the same function since 2002. Now these groups, along with new members of the team serving the Asia Division, have joined efforts to form Global IMS, a press release said.

The group oversees the investment platforms across the company’s various business units, including mutual funds, retirement plans, college savings, variable annuities, segregated funds and variable life insurance. Global IMS will also focus on the worldwide oversight of Manulife and John Hancock’s fund-of-fund and asset allocation products, including all target-risk and target-date funds.

“Integrating the manager selection and review function across divisions enables us to provide one point of contact for our global investment partners, allowing us to build stronger relationships,” said Bruce Speca, executive vice president, IMS, in the release. “The group, which has team members in Boston and Canada, now leverages local resources across regions.”