Mercer, in a surprise announcement, has confirmed that Christian Bodmer will no longer be the consultancy’s head of investment in Switzerland.

Bodmer is to be replaced by Philippe Lüthy, senior investment consultant and principal in Mercer’s Swiss office, from the beginning of August. 

Mercer provided no reason for Bodmer’s sudden departure, although a spokeswoman confirmed to IPE that he would leave the company to take on a job “within the financial industry in Zurich”.

She said she did not know which company he was joining.

Bodmer took the reins at Mercer Switzerland’s investment division in 2011 after his predecessor, Sven Ebeling, decamped for UBS.

He was promoted from deputy head of investment at the time.

Lüthy has been with Mercer since 2012, when he joined from Swiss consultancy Complementa after it was sold to State Street.

In an initial statement, Lüthy noted the “increasingly complex challenges for institutional investors” due to globalisation and regulation.

He also cited the merits of “fat tail-modelling within ALM”.