News: Watson to buy up KPMG's Irish actuaries.

EPN: European Pensions & Investment News, August, 2004

Watson Wyatt is to acquire KPMG's pension and actuarial group in Ireland.

KPMG's 10-strong team, which is led by Raymond McKenna and includes senior actuaries Paul O'Brien and Brian Mulcair, will join Watson Wyatt's existing 60 Irish staff in a deal that will be finalised by the end of the summer.

Bruce Wraight, public relations manager at the firm, told epn: "Ireland is a market we consider to be very important and we want to be one of its major players. It is well known that Mercer has a big stake in the region and it is our aim to challenge that."

But the consultant still has some way to go. The buy-out of KPMG's Irish pension and actuarial arm will take Watson Wyatt's head count up to 70 in the region. But Mercer, which itself acquired KPMG's...