James G. Ward, Former Head of Human Resources at PIMCO, Joins Options Group in Newport Beach, California

NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Options Group, a leading global executive search and strategic consulting firm, is pleased to announce that James Ward will be joining the firm as an Executive Director primarily focusing on the Alternative Investments and Asset Management sector.

"We welcome James to Options Group, he will be instrumental in building our coverage on the Asset Management side of the business. His experience and his relationships around the globe will be extremely rewarding for us collectively," said Michael Karp, co-founding partner of the Options Group.

He has over twenty years of experience in Human Resources, including domestic and international positions, initially with Salomon Brothers, Inc. where he held executive level positions in their New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong offices. During his seven years in Asia, he led the expansion of Salomon's business throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Most recently, James was an Executive Vice President, Head of Human Resources for Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO). Prior to assuming this role, he served as a Managing Director for Allianz Global Investors of America L.P. (AGI), PIMCO's parent company.

"I was drawn to Options Group because of their respect for market intelligence as a fundamental precursor to the executive search process. The quality and depth of their research, coupled with a consummate sense of professionalism, truly differentiates them from the competition," said James.

"Having known Jim for a number of years, I am very pleased that he decided to join our firm, we look forward to working with him on exciting projects," said Ike Suri, co-founding partner of the Options Group.

James joined PIMCO in 1994. Shortly after Allianz AG, the large German insurance company, acquired PIMCO Advisors in May 2000, he was appointed Head of Human Resources for North America for AGI's asset management business where he built the HR function for the combined asset management business. In this role, he supervised a substantial number of executive search projects involving the attraction of a broad spectrum of financial services talent. He transferred back to PIMCO in 2007 to revitalize their HR function in response to PIMCO's growth and expansion.

James received his Master's Degree in Human Resources Management from The University of Houston. He has written numerous articles on HR related topics and previously served on the Advisory Committee of the Center for Human Resources at Wharton.

James has served on several non-profit boards, including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where he was the Board liaison to their team-in-training program. He is also active with The Challenged Athletes Foundation. Outside of work he is a recreational triathlete, having competed in over 30 triathlons of varying distances.

James's expertise includes asset management and money management and retail sales distribution. His work has been global with a focus on US and Asia Pacific clients.

Options Group is a leading global executive search, market intelligence and strategic consulting firm with a focus on the financial services industry. Founded in 1992, Options Group has always prioritized maintaining an intimate relationship with the financial services industry and its key participants. Our geographic reach continues to expand to cover both established and emerging markets in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Since 2000, our search consultants have placed thousands of financial services professionals in Global Markets, Alternative Investments/Hedge Funds, Investment Banking, Quantitative Research and Technology.

SOURCE Options Group