Human resources and employee benefits consulting giant Mercer has named John Mercer as the new chief executive of its Irish business.

Mr Mercer, who has worked for the firm for the past eight years, will succeed Tom Geraghty, who was recently appointed as Mercer's chief executive for Europe.

Mr Mercer previously worked in human resources roles in tech group Intel and Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, a successor to Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide that was put into liquidation in 2013.

“Mercer is an organisation committed to creating more secure and rewarding futures for our clients and their employees – whether we’re designing affordable health plans, assuring income for retirement or aligning workers with workforce needs,” said Mr Mercer.

" While 2019 is likely to pose a range of interesting challenges for businesses in Ireland, including Brexit, new pension regulations, and a very competitive market for talent, I am confident our dedicated, expert team is well placed to help clients develop strategies to deal with this changing landscape."

Mercer (Ireland) Ltd advised more than 700 corporate clients and pension funds that have more than 240,000 members.