Mercer has appointed Peter Baker, formerly managing director of BNP Paribas Securities and Services in Australia, as the head of its Sentinel team in the Pacific market.

In this role he will advise institutional investors on their custodians and give general advice on the custodial services they use.

He will also lead the team carrying out operational risk assessments on asset managers and in-house investment teams.

This service offers an independent assessment of risk controls and procedures on investment teams, in line with recent APRA guidance for superannuation funds to obtain such due diligence on their fund managers.

Graeme Mather, leader of Mercer’s investment consulting team in the Pacific market, said demand for the latter service was high.

“Peter is a great cultural fit for Mercer and his appointment will ensure we remain well positioned to meet the significant demand from investors for the specialist services the Mercer Sentinel team provides,” he said.

“As a global team with more than 50 investment operations and custody professionals, Peter will work closely with colleagues around the world to ensure our clients in the Pacific are able to conduct operational due diligence on asset managers and other service providers around the globe,” he said.

Baker will commence with Mercer on November 17 and will be located in Sydney.