--Mark Faro

The $1.3 billion Idaho Endowment Fund Investment Board has hired Robeco for a $70 million large-cap value assignment. The fund had been using Metropolitan West Capital Management, but decided to eye other options following the departure of CIO Howard Gleicher (FEMM, 3/2).

Idaho had discussions with C.S. McKee, Eaton Vance Investment Managers, MFS Investment Management, Robeco, Artisan Partners and Westwood Management. It narrowed the list down to C.S. McKee, Robeco and Westwood in the finals, said Larry Johnson, manager of investments.

The key was finding a manager that complements the fund’s other large-cap value manager, LSV Asset Management, said Johnson. “We chose Robeco because we liked them just a little better than the other [two] candidates,” he added.

Idaho has been using MetWest since 2000. A call to Eric Smith, managing director at MetWest, was not returned.