Mercer has named Michael Dempsey as head of its investment management business for EMEA, an appointment which closely follows that of Paul O’Connor as head of asset allocation for the same business.

In his new role Dempsey will also be a member of the firm’s EMEA executive team and its global investment management leadership team. He succeeds Tom Murphy, who after five years in the role is relocating to Boston to take up the role of regional head of investment management.

Dempsey has spent the past four years heading up Mercer’s investment management business in Ireland. In addition to establishing and leading Mercer’s implemented consulting sales efforts, he was responsible for launching its Dynamic De-Risking Solution across the market, the firm said in a statement. Before taking the helm in Ireland he spent eight years in Mercer’s investment consulting business.

O’Connor’s appointment as head of asset allocation for Mercer’s EMEA investment management business came earlier this month. He had previously spent ten years as a proprietary trader and strategist with Credit Suisse in London.

Mercer’s investment management business in EMEA now has a book of nearly 147 clients whose assets amount to some $12.5 billion.