The PIMCO Foundation and TechnoServe Send Three PIMCO Employees to Peru to Work With Coffee Farmers

NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 2, 2013) - The PIMCO Foundation, the charitable arm of global investment management firm PIMCO, is partnering with international non-profit organization TechnoServe to send three volunteers from PIMCO to Peru for 8 weeks to help coffee farmers build sustainable small businesses.

The project is part of PIMCO's Emerging Enterprise Program (EEP), launched in 2011 in conjunction with TechnoServe, an international non-profit organization that promotes business solutions to reduce poverty. The EEP's primary aim is to encourage entrepreneurship and create opportunity in developed countries.

The volunteers, Victor Cabral, Marissa Garcia and Gino Gabbianelli, will leave August 2 for Lima, Peru. Working alongside TechnoServe and coffee farmers, they will focus on three key areas of the Peruvian coffee market -- ways to improve productivity, quality and sustainability, opportunities to strengthen the institutional and commercial structure of the sector, and understanding international trends and market opportunities for Peruvian coffee.

"We are looking forward to collaborating with PIMCO colleagues and TechnoServe staff in bringing innovative, sustainable and educational solutions for the future of local Peruvian farmers and their families," said Victor, Marissa and Gino.

They added, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build business solutions that will help rural communities lift themselves out of poverty. We are proud to represent PIMCO and can't wait to get started."

Victor is a Senior Compliance Analyst in PIMCO's Newport Beach, California office. Marissa is an Associate in the Client Facing Institutional business for Latin America based in New York and Gino is an Internal Advisor consultant in PIMCO's Global Wealth Management group based in New York.

"In our continuous efforts to support our communities around the world, PIMCO is delighted to partner with TechnoServe on efforts to reduce poverty in developing countries," said Mohamed A. El-Erian, Chief Executive Officer, co-Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO and President of The PIMCO Foundation. "Under our Emerging Enterprise Program which fosters entrepreneurship and creates on the ground opportunities for local communities, our colleagues Gino, Marissa and Victor will use their skills and knowledge to support coffee farming communities and help them grow and further their goals."

Victor, Marissa and Gino will report from the field on their experiences and individual project via blogs on the Emerging Enterprise Program section of www.pimco.com/pimcofoundation.

About The PIMCO Foundation
The PIMCO Foundation is the charitable arm of PIMCO, based in Newport Beach, California, which helps people around the world to reach their full potential by engaging, empowering and investing in communities. It carries out its mission by identifying areas of urgent community need and volunteering time and financial resources to support high impact projects and programs; through education with a focus on financial literacy and college readiness; and by investing in people through partnerships fostering economic development. The PIMCO Foundation was founded in 2001 and launched its volunteer program in 2007. In 2011, the firm established the PIMCO Foundation Europe as well as a charitable giving program in Australia.

About PIMCO
PIMCO is a leading global investment management firm, with offices in 12 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1971, PIMCO offers a wide range of innovative solutions to help millions of investors worldwide meet their needs. Our goal is to provide attractive returns while maintaining a strong culture of risk management and long-term discipline. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider.

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