Douglas Appell
Craig Mercer joined Towers Watson in Sydney as a specialist senior hedge fund and alternatives consultant, confirmed spokeswoman Sonja Lee.
Mr. Mercer effectively becomes the firm’s lead consultant in Australia for hedge funds and alternatives.
He takes on some of the responsibilities of Ross Barry — Towers Watson’s previous head of alternatives, who is slated to leave the firm by the end of the year to join the A$42 billion (US$38 billion) First State Super, Sydney, in a senior research role.
Mary Murphy, Sydney-based chief marketing officer with First State Super, confirmed Mr. Barry’s appointment to head the superannuation fund’s research effort at the start of 2014.
Mr. Mercer most recently had been head of Dalton Investments’ London office and chair of the firm’s risk management committee, according to a Towers Watson news release. Queries directed to Dalton Investments’ office in Tokyo were deferred to the firm’s Santa Monica, Calif.-based headquarters, where no one could immediately be reached for comment.
In addition to Mr. Mercer, Sean O’Shea has joined Towers Watson in Sydney as an investment consultant, confirmed Ms. Lee. It is a new position.
Mr. O’Shea had served as an independent consultant to the fund management industry as well as private clients, Ms. Lee said.