Mercer has opened an investment consulting business in Manchester, strengthening its presence in the North of England, to cater for both existing and new business in the region.

The new team of six, headed up by Jo Holden, Principal at Mercer, will be one of the largest investment consulting teams in Manchester. In the UK, Mercer’s Investment Consulting business advises over 900 pension funds and has around 350 staff, including manager research, specialist research teams and investment strategy experts which the team in Manchester can draw on.

The Manchester operation will involve existing Mercer staff, but also welcomes Paul Watson from PwC who, in addition to being a Senior Consultant, will take a leading role in developing the business. Paul will be joined by two colleagues from PwC, James Leeming who joins as a Consultant and Adam Lane as an Analyst.

Jo Holden commented: "We are delighted to welcome Paul Watson and his colleagues to Mercer. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise with them, and we look forward to working with them."

Fiona Dunsire, head of Mercer’s Investment Consulting business in the UK said: “Mercer continues to see strong demand for investment consulting advice from UK clients. Our new team in Manchester will be well placed to service clients locally, drawing on Mercer’s UK and global resources.”