Roger Urwin, London-based global head of investment consulting for Watson Wyatt and a frequent visitor to Australia, is stepping down from his role to concentrate on his main passion, which is the development and delivery of research.

The news follows a similar move from Australian-based JANA Investment Consulting which recently announced that long-standing chief executive, Ken Marshman, was stepping back to concentrate on the direction of research for clients. His role has been split with Ian Patrick. At Watson Wyatt, the new head of investment consulting globally is Carl Hess, who takes up his new job on July 1. He is currently director of investment consulting at Watson Wyatt, for whom he has worked for about 20 years, in the Americas. Urwin too is a long-term Watson Wyatt employee who has been global head of investment consulting for 13 years. John Haley, president and chief executive of the Watson Wyatt group, said Urwin had “;started and grown a global investment consulting business that is without peer on almost any measure”;. Haley said Urwin was one of the most influential people in the pensions and investment industry worldwide. “;In his new position … we expect to see him at the forefront of developing and implementing outstanding solutions for our clients,”; Haley said.