Robert M. Almeida Jr. is an investment officer and institutional portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management® (MFS®). He serves as a member of the US Equity Growth team, participates in the research process and strategy discussions, assesses portfolio risk, customizes portfolios to client objectives and guidelines and manages daily cash flows. He also serves as a portfolio manager on an alternative strategy run by a committee of MFS portfolio managers. Rob joined MFS in 1999 and most recently served as an institutional portfolio manager for the Fixed Income Department from 2007 through 2009. Before joining the firm in 1999, he worked at Putnam Investments, focusing on the firm's efforts in Japan. Rob is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and earned his Master of Science degree in Finance from the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University. Our portfolio managers are supported by our entire team of investment professionals in nine worldwide offices. The team employs a proprietary investment process to build better insights for our clients. The core principles of our approach are integrated research, global collaboration and active risk management.

David P. Cole, CFA, is an Investment Officer of MFS Investment Management® (MFS®) and Portfolio Manager at the firm. David employed in the investment area of MFS since 2004 after working for five years as a High Yield Analyst for Franklin Templeton Investments. Prior to this, he served as a financial economist/treasury market analyst for Thomson Financial Services and two years as an economist for Standard and Poor's. David has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.