BlackRock Hires Mark Wiseman as a Senior Investment Leader

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 19, 2016) - BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) has named Mark Wiseman as incoming Senior Managing Director and a member of the Global Executive Committee (GEC). Wiseman will become Head of BlackRock's Global Active Equity business and will become Chairman of the BlackRock Global Investment Committee, the investment sub-committee of the GEC. He will also help support BlackRock Alternative Investors. Wiseman will report to Robert S. Kapito, President of BlackRock, and will join the firm in early September.

Wiseman currently serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of CPP Investment Board, which manages approximately C$280 billion on behalf of the Canada Pension Plan and its 19 million contributors and beneficiaries.

He will become Chairman of the Global Investment Committee, the GEC sub-committee that provides governance and oversight of investment performance; drives collaboration, including leveraging technology, across investment platforms; builds alignment on business growth and development plans; and facilitates product development and evolution.

As Head of Global Active Equity, Wiseman will oversee more than 350 portfolio management and business professionals across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific regions, responsible for investing over $275 billion in equity-based investment strategies. Global Active Equity includes Fundamental Active Equity ($205 billion) and Scientific Active Equity ($70 billion).

He also will become Chairman of BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI), to support and partner with BAI Co-Heads Mark McCombe and Matt Botein. McCombe and Botein will continue to lead BAI and run the business day-to-day, reporting to BlackRock President Robert Kapito. BlackRock's alternatives platform spans hedge funds, private equity, real assets, private credit, commodities, and alternative solutions. Wiseman will work closely with McCombe and Botein in developing investment strategies, deepening the firm's client relationships and sourcing investment opportunities for BAI. In addition to leading BAI, McCombe continues to serve as Senior Managing Director and Global Head of BlackRock's Institutional Client Business.

Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, "We are thrilled to be bringing an executive of Mark's stature into BlackRock. He is not only a best-in-class investor but also a great leader of investors. He has deep experience in both public and private capital markets globally - having worked with and driven strong investment results for some of the biggest and most sophisticated pools of investment capital in the world. We are excited about the contributions that Mark can make across our entire investment platform."

Robert Kapito, President, added, "Having undertaken a multi-year effort to rebuild BlackRock's active equity capabilities, we are pleased with our progress and believe Mark can help us continue to drive meaningful results for clients. As we further enhance investment performance and link our fundamental and scientific active equity investment strategies, Mark is perfectly suited to lead this effort. He will also be able to make substantial contributions to our alternatives platform and across the firm. I look forward to partnering with him and the rest of our investment leadership in delivering compelling investment solutions to our clients that draw on the full depth and breadth of BlackRock's capabilities."

Biographical Information

Mr. Wiseman assumed the role of President & CEO of CPP Investment Board in 2012 and has been responsible for leading all investment and non-investment activities. He first joined CPPIB in 2005 as the organization's Senior Vice-President, Private Investments. He was later named Executive Vice-President, Investments, responsible for managing all of the investment activities of CPPIB - Public Market Investments, Private Investments and Real Estate Investments.

Prior to joining CPPIB, Mr. Wiseman was responsible for the private equity fund and co-investment program at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Previously, he was an officer with Harrowston Inc., a publicly traded Canadian merchant bank and a lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell, practicing in New York and Paris. He also served as a law clerk to Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Mr. Wiseman holds a BA from Queen's University and a law degree and MBA from the University of Toronto. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Yale University, where he obtained a masters degree in law and is a certified member of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mr. Wiseman serves on the Board of several non-profit organizations, including the Sinai Health System and the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance. He was the 2015 Campaign Chair for the United Way of Toronto and York Region and was recently appointed to the Canadian Finance Minister's Economic Growth Council.

About BlackRock

BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients. At March 31, 2016, BlackRock's AUM was $4.737 trillion. BlackRock helps clients around the world meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares^® (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions^®. As of March 31, 2016, the firm had approximately 13,000 employees in more than 30 countries and a major presence in global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.blackrock.com / Twitter: @blackrock_news / Blog: www.blackrockblog.com / LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock.