GERMANY - Mercer Human Resource Consulting has named Peter Doetsch of the German construction industry pension fund as head of its retirement business in the country.

Based in Frankfurt, he will also be a member of Mercer Germany’s management board. He takes over the position from country head Marco Arteaga, who will focus on that role.

The company said Doetsch was a member of the executive board at the fund, Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes of Wiesbaden. A spokesman for the fund was not immediately available for comment.

He was formerly a management board member at German consultant Heissmann and was managing director of IPC International Pension Consultants, Mercer said. He takes up his role on April 1.

Earlier this week rival firm Hewitt Associates said it had hired Dieter Oppermann, the former head of Mercer’s international consulting operations in Germany.

It said he would lead the international consulting group at its BodeHewitt arm. A Mercer spokesman said he’s been replaced by Stefan Oecking.