BOSTON, Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock
Closed-End Funds announced that Charles L.
Ladner, an independent Trustee of the Funds, retired from
the Boards of Trustees of the Funds on December 31, 2011. Effective with Mr.
Ladner's retirement, each Fund's Board of Trustees consists of ten
members. In addition, effective January 1, 2012 until December 31, 2012, Dr. John A. Moore, an independent Trustee of the
Funds, serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of each
Fund.
John Hancock Closed-End Funds are: John
Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund (NYSE: BTO); John
Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ); John Hancock
Income Securities Trust (NYSE: JHS); John Hancock Investors Trust
(NYSE: JHI); John Hancock Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: HPI); John
Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE: HPF); John Hancock
Preferred Income Fund III (NYSE: HPS); John Hancock Premium
Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT); John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend
Income Fund (NYSE: HTD); and John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global
Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE: HTY).
Commenting on Mr. Ladner's retirement, Keith F. Hartstein, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Funds, said: "Chuck has provided
outstanding knowledge and insights to the Board during his tenure
as a Trustee of the Funds. His expertise and leadership have
greatly benefited shareholders of the John Hancock Funds. We extend
our congratulations on his exceptional service and wish him all the
best in the future."
Mr. Ladner served as an independent Trustee of various Funds
since 1992. Mr. Ladner has been retained to serve as a
consultant to each Fund's Board. Mr. Pruchansky, the Chair of
the Funds, said "The Funds greatly benefited from Chuck's
dedication and expertise, and we are delighted to be able to access
his knowledge for another year."
Statements in this press release that are not historical
facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should
exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking
statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other
factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and
could cause actual results to differ materially from those set
forth in the forward-looking statements.
About John Hancock Funds
The Boston-based mutual fund
business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages
more than $62.3 billion in open-end
funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and
related party assets for individual and institutional investors as
at September 30, 2011.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial
Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial
Corporation, a leading Canada-based financial services group serving
millions of customers in 21 countries and territories worldwide.
Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in
the United States, Manulife
Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial
protection products and wealth management services through its
extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners.
Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries
were C$492 billion (US$473 billion) as at September 30, 2011. Manulife Financial
Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under
'945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet
at manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies,
comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad
range of financial products and services, including life insurance,
fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k)
plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms
of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock
may be found at johnhancock.com.
SOURCE John Hancock Funds