IRELAND - Paul O’Faherty has been appointed as chief executive of consultant William M. Mercer in Dublin, effective from July 1.

O’Faherty, who joined Mercer in 1980 and is responsible for the group’s Irish Investment Consulting, Administration and Client Management Practices, takes over from Jim Kelly who retires at the end of the year.
A former chairman of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, O’Faherty has also represented Ireland on the executive committee of the European Federation for Retirement provision (EFRP).

In a related move, Jim Brophy, an actuary and worldwide partner at the firm who currently leads Mercer’s Retirement and Healthcare Practices, has been appointed deputy chief executive.

Jim Kelly becomes chairman of the holding company for Mercer in Ireland and comments: “Succession planning has been foremost in our minds, as the firm has been through a major change in recent years. We have a team of high calibre consultants and it will be Paul and Jim’s task to lead this new generation through Mercer’s next phase of development.”