BlackRock Announces Portfolio Manager Changes to BlackRock Utility and Infrastructure Trust
BlackRock Advisors, LLC today announced changes to the portfolio
management team of BlackRock Utility and Infrastructure Trust (NYSE:BUI)
(the “Fund”). In connection with these changes, BlackRock Advisors, LLC
also announced that BlackRock International Limited would not be
appointed as an investment sub-advisor for BUI, as was disclosed on
February 26, 2013.
BUI’s portfolio management team, including biographies for each of the
portfolio managers, is set forth below. The changes announced today will
take effect March 11, 2013.
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Fund
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Portfolio Management Team
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BUI
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Christopher Accettella, Kathleen Anderson, Kyle McClements and
Robert Shearer
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Christopher M. Accettella, Director, is a member of the
Fundamental Equity platform. He is a trader responsible for executing
equity derivatives and options trades.
Prior to joining BlackRock in 2005, Mr. Accettella was an institutional
sales trader with American Technology Research. From 2001 to 2003, he
was with Deutsche Asset Management where he was responsible for
derivatives and program trading. Prior to that, he was a senior
associate in the Pacific Basin Equity Group at Scudder Investments
Singapore Limited. Mr. Accettella began his investment career in 1997 as
a portfolio analyst in the European Equity group of Scudder Kemper
Investments, Inc.
Mr. Accettella earned a BA degree in economics and Asian studies from
Colgate University in 1997.
Kathleen Anderson, Managing Director, is a member of the
Fundamental Equity division of BlackRock's Alpha Strategies Group. She
is the lead portfolio manager for BlackRock Utilities and
Telecommunications Fund and a portfolio manager for the BlackRock Equity
Dividend Fund.
Ms. Anderson's service with the firm dates back to 1993, including her
years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), which merged with
BlackRock in 2006. Prior to joining MLIM, Ms. Anderson served as a
research associate at Chancellor Capital Management (formerly Citigroup
Investment Management) from 1983 until 1993. At Chancellor Capital
Management, Ms. Anderson was a research associate for entertainment and
media and an analyst on a real estate fund. Previously, she assumed
coverage as the analyst for the utilities and telecommunications sectors.
Ms. Anderson earned a BA degree in economics and finance from Baruch
College in 1980.
Kyle G. McClements, CFA, Managing Director, is a member of
the Fundamental Equity platform. He is a senior trader responsible for
executing equity derivatives and options trades.
Mr. McClements' service with the firm dates back to 2004, including his
years with State Street Research & Management (SSRM), which merged with
BlackRock in 2005. At SSRM, Mr. McClements was a Vice President and
senior derivatives strategist responsible for equity derivative strategy
and trading in the Quantitative Equity Group at State Street Research.
Prior to joining State Street Research in 2004, Mr. McClements was a
senior trader/analyst at Deutsche Asset Management, responsible for
derivatives, equity program, technology and energy sector, and foreign
exchange trading. Mr. McClements began his career in 1994 as a
derivatives analyst with Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette responsible for
pricing and performance analytics for the derivatives trading desk.
Mr. McClements earned a BA degree in economics and political science
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and an MBA degree in finance
and corporate accounting from the University of Rochester in 1998.
Robert Shearer, CFA, Managing Director, is a member of the
Fundamental Equity division of BlackRock's Alpha Strategies Group. He is
the lead portfolio manager for the Equity Dividend Fund and the
BlackRock Natural Resources Fund.
Mr. Shearer's service with the firm dates back to 1997, including his
years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), which merged with
BlackRock in 2006. At MLIM, he managed the Merrill Lynch World Natural
Resources Portfolio. Prior to joining MLIM, Mr. Shearer was a vice
president with David L. Babson & Company, Inc., at Concert Capital
Management, Inc. as a Vice President and Sector Manager and at Fiduciary
Trust Company International as a Vice President.
Mr. Shearer earned a BS degree in economics at the University of
Wisconsin in 1978, an MA degree in international management at
Thunderbird, School of Global Management in 1982, and an MBA degree from
the University of Wisconsin in 1985.
About BlackRock
BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and
advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At
December 31, 2012, BlackRock’s AUM was $3.792 trillion. BlackRock offers
products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients’ needs, including
active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes.
Products are offered in a variety of structures including 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®. Headquartered in
New York City, as of December 31, 2012, the firm has approximately
10,500 employees in 30 countries and a major presence in key global
markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and
the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit
BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or the Fund may
make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Fund’s or
BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or
expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by
words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,”
“pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,”
“intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,”
“remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar
expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,”
“should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions.
BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to
numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and
BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update
forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from
those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could
differ materially from historical performance.
With respect to the Fund, the following factors, among others, could
cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements
or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political,
economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign
exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in
changes in demand for the Fund or in the Fund’s net asset value; (2) the
relative and absolute investment performance of the Fund and its
investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the
unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and
timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent
and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and
regulatory actions and reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and regulatory, supervisory or
enforcement actions of government agencies relating to the Fund or
BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international
hostilities and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the
general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets,
specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and
retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock
electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11)
the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or
negative performance of products at other financial institutions.
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Fund
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are accessible on
the SEC's website at www.sec.gov
and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com,
and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Fund. The
information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press
release.