NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 30, 2013) -  PIMCO, a leading global investment management firm, has hired Virginie Maisonneuve as Managing Director, Global Head of Equities and Portfolio Manager. She joins PIMCO from Schroders Plc, where she most recently served as Head of Global and International Equities. Ms. Maisonneuve will be based in the firm's London office. Her official start date is currently expected to be in January 2014. 

Said Mohamed A. El-Erian, PIMCO's CEO and co-CIO: "Virginie is a proven equity investor and leader who has delivered a track-record of success for clients throughout her 25-year career as a portfolio manager and a business builder. We are delighted to have Virginie on board as part of our multi-year effort to deepen and expand the set of global investment solutions we provide to clients around the world."

In her new role, Ms. Maisonneuve will lead PIMCO's active equity portfolio management, contributing also to the development and introduction of new equity and asset allocation strategies. 

PIMCO's equity offerings span a range of strategies and styles, including the StocksPLUS suite of strategies, and our active long-short, dividend, emerging market and deep value equity strategies, totaling more than $50 billion in assets under management. Going forward, the firm will continue with its strategy of carefully adding resources and introducing additional strategies in equities, alternatives, ETFs and other areas to help our clients meet their long-term investment objectives.

"Together with PIMCO's existing active equity portfolio management teams and our highly-successful StocksPLUS strategies, Virginie will play an instrumental leadership role in enhancing the many ways we serve our clients in the years to come," added Dr. El-Erian.

Professional Bio of Virginie Maisonneuve
Ms. Maisonneuve has more than 25 years of equity investing experience and most recently was Head of Global and International Equities with Schroders Plc, where she spent 9 years in their London office as an equity portfolio manager and team leader. She also served as a Director of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Previously, she spent 6-years at Clay Finlay in New York City as Co-Chief Investment Officer, Director and a member of the Executive Committee and Investment Policy Committee. Earlier in her career she was an equity portfolio manager with a focus on Asian portfolios with State Street Research and Management. She also held equity portfolio management roles with Batterymarch Financial Management and Martin Currie, in Scotland. Ms. Maisonneuve began her career working with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China. She earned a MA in Mandarin Chinese from Dauphine University in Paris, an MBA from Ecole Superieure Libre des Sciences Commerciales Appliquées in Paris, and a BA in Political Economics from People's University in Beijing, China. Ms. Maisonneuve is a CFA charterholder.

About PIMCO 
 PIMCO is a leading global investment management firm, with offices in 12 countries throughout the Americas, 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. 

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of PIMCO's sponsored investment products and separately managed accounts, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.