Mercer, the UK consulting firm, has hired two senior staff to its international consulting group, as it reacts to an upsurge in demand for retirement, health, and benefits advice from multinational companies based in the UK and Europe.

Stephen James has joined the firm as principal, with the job of giving strategic advice to multinationals, and drawing on his expertise in pooling arrangements - the merging of pension funds across borders under central management, gaining economies of scale.