WTW Germany has appointed Nikolaus Schmidt-Narischkin as chairman of the Willis Towers Watson Investments management board.

Schmidt-Narischkin succeeds Matthias Paetzel, who will be leaving the company.

"We thank Matthias Paetzel for his contribution to the investment business," WTW head of Central Europe, Dr. Reiner Schwinger, said.

"He has made a significant contribution to the further development of our business in Western Europe. We wish him every success in his professional future."

Also WTW Germany managing director and chief commercial officer, Schmidt-Narischkin is already a member of the executive board of Willis Towers Watson Investments.

With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, he also has extensive knowledge in the design and consulting of benefits and occupational pension schemes.

He has also been chief investment officer of WTW Pensionsfonds AG for over 10 years.

The appointment was made amid a challenging time for investors, as WTW noted that investors are currently facing a multitude of challenges, with political tensions, volatile stock markets, and inflation characterising the environment in which decisions must be made.

"The combination of US tariff policy and the German government's announced special fund has contributed to a short-term decline in the funding level of pension commitments in Germany, which had recently reached record highs," Schmidt-Narischkin said.

"A temporary low was reached in April, and since then the situation has recovered significantly, although volatility remains high."

Given this backdrop, Schmidt-Narischkin argued that "the key to long-term success, especially in difficult market situations, lies in diversification".

"However, this goes hand in hand with increasingly complex investment strategies," he stated. "For this reason, we are seeing a trend for companies to outsource their capital investments."

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