The asset management giant PIMCO has hired three new investment professionals, expanding its portfolio management analytics team in New York and London.

Vasant Naik has been appointed executive vice president and global head of empirical research, based out of PIMCO’s London offices. He joined the firm from Nomura International, where he was managing director and head of the quantitative strategies group.

Stefano Risa has been appointed executive vice president and head of mortgage and asset-backed analytics, based in PIMCO’s New York offices. He previously worked at C12 Capital.

Riccardo Rebonato, who is scheduled to join the firm on 1 December, has been named executive vice president and head of rates and FX analytics, based at the firm’s London offices. He was latterly head of front office risk management and quantitative research at RBS Global Banking and Markets.

The three will report to Ravi Mattu, the managing director and head of analytics.

"We are committed to building a world class quantitative valuation and risk management framework to complement our outstanding macro driven investment process," said Mattu.

The hires bring the number of professionals in PIMCO’s portfolio analytics team to 46.

In other recent news, last month the asset manager appointed five investment professionals to its emerging market equity team, based across its London, New York and Singapore offices.

PIMCO manages or services some $1.35 trillion worldwide.