BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC (GMO) announces that Scott Hayward, former CEO of Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA), will take the helm of GMO as CEO effective February 13, 2017, replacing Peg McGetrick, current CEO on an interim basis, who will remain a Director of the firm. “The Board of Directors and I are happy to get the new year off to a great start by appointing Scott as our CEO,” reports McGetrick. “He is a strong cultural fit for us and comes with a long track record of delivering investment excellence and innovation.” Hayward spent 13 years at QMA, including 11 as CEO. He previously held executive positions at Jennison Associates and JPMorgan. “GMO is an iconic, world-class investment manager with an exceptional history of investment thought leadership and independence,” says Hayward. “This is an incredible opportunity and I look forward to working with such an accomplished team to bring the best of GMO's fundamental and quantitative capabilities to bear on behalf of our clients.”

McGetrick also announces the hiring of Andy Martin from Cambridge Associates (CA) to fill a newly created role, Head of Investment Teams. Martin spent 10 years with CA, most recently as Managing Director in the non-profit practice and Global Head of Hedge Fund Research. “GMO is a firm that I have long admired for its commitment to clients, best-in-class investment strategies, and original thinking. I am excited to partner with Scott and the talented members of GMO’s investment teams.”

New this year at GMO will be a series of strategies launched to appeal to clients who are focused on the issue of climate change, intended to enable investors to promote a positive environmental impact while remaining dedicated to achieving superior investment results. Founder Jeremy Grantham, a steadfast and passionate advocate for addressing the impact of climate change on the environment, noted that “global warming will be the most important investment issue for the foreseeable future.” Long-time GMO Partner and Chairman Arjun Divecha reports, “GMO has been doing fundamental research on investment implications and opportunities relating to environmental factors for years, and we are confident that now is the time to partner with our clients and provide investment solutions.” The first strategy, which will be implemented in “The Climate Change Fund,” will launch in the first quarter of 2017 and will target companies focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Founded in 1977, GMO is a private partnership whose sole business is investment management. The firm manages global portfolios with offices and clients around the world. Investment offerings include equity, fixed income, multi-asset class, and alternative strategies. GMO is known for blended fundamental and quantitative investment research expertise and a long-term orientation toward value opportunities.

This is not an offer to sell shares of The Climate Change Fund (the "Fund") nor solicitation of such an offer in any State where that would be not be permitted. Information about the Fund is to be found in the prospectus and information in this press release about the Fund is not complete. Shares of the Fund may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the SEC is effective. An investor should carefully read the prospectus to understand the Fund's objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. This and other important information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from GMO by emailing NAInstitutionalInvestor@gmo.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Risks associated with investing in the Fund may include: Focused Investment Risk, Market Risk – Equities, Management and Operation Risk, Non-U.S. Investment Risk, and Derivatives and Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. For a more complete discussion of these risks and others, please consult the Fund’s prospectus. The GMO Trust funds are distributed in the United States by Funds Distributor LLC. GMO and Funds Distributor LLC are not affiliated.