ALLIANZ announced that its premier fixed income investment managers - PIMCO, has hired John STUDZINSKI as Managing Director and Vice Chairman of PIMCO in its Executive Office. He will be based in PIMCO's New York office and will report to Emmanuel ROMAN, PIMCO's Chief Executive Officer.

"John STUDZINSKI, who has spent most of his career working in Asia and Europe, brings to PIMCO 30 years of experience as a trusted financial and strategic advisor who has forged deep bonds among the world's leaders in business, finance, government and NGOs".

Prior to joining PIMCO, John STUDZINSKI was Vice Chairman, Investor Relations and Business Development and Senior Managing Director of Blackstone Group, overseeing sovereign and institutional investor relationships and advising large, influential pools of family capital on investment strategy. He also served as head of European Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley and Deputy Chairman of Morgan Stanley International and was instrumental in HSBC Group's buildout of its investment banking division, where he was also on the bank's Group Management Board.