Marsh & McLennan Cos Revamping Mercer Unit

NU Online News Service, Jan. 26, 8:44 p.m.EST?Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. announcedorganizational and management changes today at Mercer Inc., itsconsulting services subsidiary.[@@]

The moves, MMC said, follow the planned retirement of Mercerpresident, Peter Coster, after a 40-years at Mercer.

Going forward the company will be managed as two business areas:one headed by Brian M. Storms, currently vice chairman of MercerHuman Resource Consulting and a member of the Mercer Inc. board,and one headed by David J. Morrison, currently president and chiefexecutive officer of Mercer Management Consulting, Inc. and also aMercer Inc. board member. Both will report to Michael G. Cherkasky,president and chief executive officer of MMC.

MMC announced that Mr. Storms has been named president and chiefexecutive officer of Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

In his new role, MMC said that Mr. Storms, 50, assumesleadership of Mercer Human Resource Consulting's core consultingpractices as well as its new outsourcing and investment solutionsbusinesses.

Before joining Mercer, Mr. Storms was president and chiefexecutive officer of UBS Global Asset Management, Americas.

MMC said Mr. Morrison, 57, is assuming responsibility forleading a group of MMC's specialty consulting businesses, whichwill continue to be managed by their current leaders.

The group Mr. Morrison will head includes Mercer Strategy andOperations; Mercer Oliver Wyman (risk and financial services), ledby John P. Drzik; Mercer Delta Organizational Consulting(leadership and organization change), led by David A. Nadler;Lippincott Mercer (design and brand strategy), led by Ken Roberts;and NERA Economic Consulting, led by Dr. Richard T. Rapp.

Mr. Cherkasky said: "As MMC continues to realign its structure,these changes at Mercer represent important steps in streamliningaccountability while ensuring that our leaders remain close to theclients and markets they serve."