First American Asset Management, the investment management division of U.S. Bank, has formed a quantitative investment group to manage the firm's index-related investment services. The group will be headed by
Walter French, who has been hired by First American as portfolio manager and director.
"With the growing demand for index investments, we are fortunate to have someone with Walt's experience and successful track record in making these products available to our clients," said
Jim Doak, First American's senior managing director of equities.
Doak added that French, 51, has subadvised U.S. Bank's enhanced index fund, the
Index Plus Retirement Fund, since its inception in 1990, through
Berkeley Quantitative Advisors (BQA), a firm he co-founded in 1987. French was chief investment officer/portfolio manager of BQA before joining First American.
"We're taking Walt's successful enhanced index strategy to the next level by bringing it in-house and including it in the investment options available to our institutional clients," added Doak. 
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