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By Chris Vellacott and Jennifer Ablan LONDON (Reuters) - Pimco's London-based emerging market equities head Masha Gordon has left the giant U.S. asset management firm "to pursue other interests", the company confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement, Pimco said Virginie Maisonneuve, who is the company's Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of Equities, is running the emerging markets equity strategy following Gordon's departure.
Gordon joined Pimco in 2010 from Goldman Sachs' asset management arm where she had worked on emerging markets equity strategies since 2003. Early in her career she worked as a journalist in the Moscow bureau of The Washington Post.
A source at Pimco said Gordon had left two weeks ago.
Maisonneuve joined Pimco last year from British fund manager Schroders, succeeding Neel Kashkari as head of the firm's equities business who left to pursue a career in politics.
Since the abrupt departure of Mohamed El-Erian in January, Pimco has undergone a leadership shake-up that has included the hire of Paul McCulley, managing director and chief economist, a new role for the Newport Beach, California, firm.
Pimco, which oversees $1.97 trillion in assets as of June 30, has hired senior talent across its broad investment platform throughout this year.
In June, Pimco hired Geraldine Sundstrom, formerly of Brevan Howard Capital Management LP, as a managing director and money manager, based in Pimco's London office.
(Editing by Dominic Evans)