Appendix A
SUB-SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
This SUB-SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT, dated as of May 1, 2021 (the “Agreement”), is made by and between BARINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sub-Adviser”), and BARING INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITED, a private limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (the “Sub-Sub-Adviser”).
WHEREAS, the MML Inflation-Protected Bond Fund (now known as the MML Inflation-Protected and Income Fund (the “Fund”) is a series of MML Series Investment Fund II (the “Trust”), a Massachusetts business trust which is an open-end management investment company registered as such with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);
WHEREAS, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (“MassMutual”) and Babson Capital Management LLC (now known as Barings LLC) entered into an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (the “Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement”), effective as of May 1, 2005, as amended, relating to the Fund;
WHEREAS, MassMutual assigned the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement to its wholly-owned affiliate, MML Investment Advisers, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), effective April 1, 2014;
WHEREAS, the Sub-Adviser wishes to delegate certain investment management services to the Sub-Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund, and the Sub-Sub-Adviser is willing to furnish such services to the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund upon the terms and conditions set forth below; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of Trust, as determined in accordance with the 1940 Act (the “Disinterested Trustees”), have approved of the delegation to the Sub-Sub-Adviser to provide the investment management services contemplated herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the Sub-Adviser and the Sub-Sub-Adviser agree as follows:
SECTION 1. Appointment and Duties of Sub-Sub-Adviser.
(a)
Subject to the direction and oversight of the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser hereby appoints the Sub-Sub-Adviser, and the Sub-Sub-Adviser accepts the appointment and undertakes to provide the services contemplated herein, pursuant to the terms and conditions described herein.
(b)
The Sub-Sub-Adviser agrees during the term of this Agreement to:
(i) supervise the investment activities of the Fund;
(ii) continuously manage the Fund in a manner consistent with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and any other governing documents such as Fund specific procedures, as they may be amended from time to time;
(iii) determine the securities to be purchased, sold or otherwise disposed of by the Fund and the timing of such purchases, sales and dispositions, including the placing of purchase and sale orders on behalf of the Fund, as necessary or appropriate, and consistent with all relevant Barings global policies including but not limited to those related to investment allocation, best execution and other brokerage practices;
(iv) render periodic reports to the Sub-Adviser as it may reasonably request regarding the Fund’s investment program with respect to the Fund and the services provided by the Sub-Sub-Adviser hereunder;
(v) make and maintain for the required period all records required to be made under the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder relating to transactions with respect to the Fund effected by the