Expatriate Australian Bill Muysken, the former global head of research at Mercer Investment Consulting in London, is to join the hedge funds of funds manager Thames River Capital.

Muysken starts next month as a portfolio manager having spent the past 14 years at Mercer. He had been transitioning himself out of his former role since last May, when Andy Barber was appointed global head of research and Muysken looked to concentrate on alternative investments. Barber will now also oversee the alternatives area. Muysken was instrumental in building the global manager research team and establishing the dedicated alternatives research capability during his time in London. Charlie Porter, the chief executive of Thames River Capital, said: “We are excited to have someone of Bill’s calibre joining Thames River. He brings a depth of experience in manager research that will allow him to make a valuable contribution to our existing multi-manager product range, as well as assisting the team in the development of new products for the institutional market.”