Mercer has appointed Edinburgh-based Steven Blackie as its UK head of investments.

He will succeed Patrick Race, who held the position for more than four years.

In his new job as UK head of investments, Blackie will focus on developing Mercer’s advisory and delegated services, as well as growing “innovative offerings for the wealth management and insurance market segments,” the company said.

Blackie has been commercial director for Mercer’s UK investments business up until this appointment, having first joined the consultancy back in 2009 as head of the Edinburgh investment team.

Mercer said Race decided to step back from business leadership to focus on client work and a small number of new service delivery, risk and governance responsibilities.

Before working at Mercer, Blackie was commercial director for Aon Hewitt’s consultancy business in Scotland, and also worked at Edinburgh Fund Managers, as well as Merrill Lynch Investment Managers.