Financial consultant Mercer has enhanced its executive remuneration consulting capabilities in Europe.

As part of the move, Diane Doubleday, Mercer's global head of Executive Remuneration, has relocated to the UK to drive Executive Remuneration business growth in Europe.

The company has also launched a European Executive Remuneration Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Geneva, which it says aims to help client organisations better respond to increasing executive pay scrutiny and requirements in the current economic environment.

"The partial nationalisation of financial institutions in multiple countries puts executive pay in the spotlight," commented Doubleday. "Many governments are imposing new constraints on executive remuneration and these are quickly spreading as 'best practice' to non-financial sectors."

Martin Meerkerk, human capital leader for Europe at Mercer, added: "Moving our global leader to Europe reflects Mercer's commitment to meeting the executive remuneration needs of European national and multinationals as they respond to these unprecedented times."

Doubleday concluded: "Executive remuneration issues are now truly global, and Mercer is positioned to serve companies with our executive remuneration teams in the UK, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia."

The CoE in Geneva will serve as a hub of remuneration expertise, thought leadership and knowledge management for Continental Europe, and will focus on Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Benelux and Scandinavia.

This is not, however, the first CoE for Mercer. In London, a CoE currently exists, primarily serving the UK and Ireland. The Geneva branch will employ multilingual specialists who work with Mercer consultants across Europe, providing information, advice and a context to regional pay decisions.

Share Story: