En garde, fund managers

Focus and strategic ability are important skills for a financial industry leader, and Keith Hartstein, president and chief executive of the $54 billion John Hancock Funds of Boston, has found a unique way of honing these talents — by fencing. In fact, Mr. Hartstein, 52, who has been practicing the sport for just three years, recently won a national competition and a spot as the first alternate for the Veterans World Cup competition, to be held in Limoges, France, in October. "It's important to have a mind-set that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to," he said. At the sport's summer national championships in San Jose, Calif., Mr. Hartstein finished third in the men's ages 50-59 saber competition — his best finish ever. The most challenging part of the competition came during the quarterfinals, he said. "I started focusing on the next move, then the next," Mr. Hartstein said. "It was that kind of focusing on the problem at hand — and not worrying about the ultimate outcome — that was important." Earlier in the season, Mr. Hartstein took seventh place in Richmond, Va. He finished fifth in the national point rankings for the season, earning him the first-alternate slot. An avid cyclist, Mr. Hartstein took up fencing because his twin 18-year-old sons, Kevin and Taylor, were involved in the sport. "I had always coached them in Little League and soccer," he said. "They said, 'If you want to help us, you have to learn how to do this.'" Mr. Hartstein joined a local fencing club and learned how to fence with foil, epee and saber swords. After a year of epee, he took up the saber and began competing in local and regional tournaments. The physical and strategic demands of fencing appeal to Mr. Hartstein. "You have to outwit your opponent, outguess them and bait them to do something you want them to do," he said. Mr. Hartstein and his family visited Beijing for several days during the Olympics, including, of course, the finals of the men's saber competition last Tuesday. "You always learn something from observing," he said.