Firm to double RIA sales team

John Hancock Funds LLC is looking to double the size of the sales team that targets registered investment advisers to 12, according to Keith Hartstein, the company's president and chief executive. Hancock is looking to hire two external wholesalers and four internal sales representatives by early next year. The hires will report to Todd Cassler, head of institutional sales. Hancock first began targeting this channel 18 months ago and wants to step up its effort now because it sees a bigger growth opportunity, Mr. Hartstein said in an interview. “Some of the dislocation in the brokerage community has caused folks to move to the RIA space, and we think there is an opportunity there,” he said. E-mail Jessica Toonkel Marquez at jmarquez@investmentnews.com.