Critical thinking

In the fifth episode of Wegwijs na Invaren, Roel Mehlkopf (Cardano) and Marc Heemskerk (Mercer) talk to pensions lawyer and professor, Mark Heemskerk, about an important and topical theme: pensions in court - particularly in relation to the new Dutch pensions system. Together they explore different scenarios and discuss: how realistic lawsuits are related to conversion, who could be held responsib...

Global securitized credit has come a long way since the 2008 financial crisis. In this episode of Critical Thinking , Deborah Wardle speaks with Jean de Kock and Thimal Kollure about how the market has evolved, why it is attracting renewed investor interest, and what it may need to build an effective allocation today. This podcast contains statements on historical performance which may not be repe...

Recorded live at Mercer’s Global Investment Forum in Orlando, in this special edition of the One theme, Two CIOs, Three questions podcast Anne Marie Schultz, US Investments Commercial Leader is joined by US CIO Andrew McDougall and Global Alternatives CIO Garvan McCarthy on the key issues shaping investor decisions today. From geopolitical and energy risk to AI-driven growth, private markets liqui...

In the fourth episode of Wegwijs na Invaren, Roel Mehlkopf (Cardano) and Marc Heemskerk (Mercer) speak with Jeroen Steenvoorden, the Dutch national pension ombudsman, about what he is seeing in practice and what challenges participants face.  Together they discuss common topics and patterns in complaints and the balance between the letter and the intent of pension schemes. They also look ahead to...

In this episode of Wegwijs na Invaren, Roel Mehlkopf and Marc Heemskerk speak with Agnes Joseph about her time in the Dutch Parliament and her involvement in the pension debate. What insights can be drawn from that period, and how does she now view the new pension system? They also look ahead. What does a society in which people are living longer, and may spend 30 years or more in retirement, mean...

In this episode of our Dutch podcast, Wegwijs na Invaren , Roel Mehlkopf, Pension Fund Adviser at Cardano Netherlands, and Marc Heemskerk, Actuarial Consultant at Mercer, talk with Michael Visser from Nationaal Instituut voor Budgetvoorlichting (Nibud) about purchasing power around retirement and the lessons that can be drawn for the transition to the new pension system.  Together, they discuss ho...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, Mercer’s Commercial Leader for UK Investments, Dan Melley, is joined by historian and "The Rest Is History" podcast co-host Dominic Sandbrook to explore what today’s investors can learn from some of history’s most influential financiers. Central to the discussion is the interplay among finance, power, and innovation. Across periods and personalities,...

In this episode of Critical thinking, Byron Evans speaks with Rob Ansari and Bev Sharp about unlocking the value of data with AI. They share real examples – from using internal AI tools to streamline manager research to building capital‑flow forecasting – and the lessons learned on data readiness, governance and change management.  This content is for institutional investors and for information pu...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, Amit Popat is joined by Andreas Vermeiren and Huw van Steenis to explore the rapid rise of asset-backed finance (ABF) and its role in modern portfolios.  The discussion examines the drivers behind ABF’s recent momentum, as banks retrench and institutional investors, particularly insurers, seek long-duration, stable cash flows. It also highlights the growing ro...

In this first episode of our Dutch Podcast Wegwijs na Invaren , Roel Mehlkopf, Pension Fund Advisor, Cardano Netherlands, and Marc Heemskerk, Actuarial Consultant at Mercer, speak with financial journalist Jacob Schoenmaker to explore how the media is covering the Netherlands’ transition to the new pension system. They unpack the narratives that tend to surface in reporting – including the often‑m...

Join host Cori Trautvetter as she sits down with Lisa Laird, CIO of Mercy Investment Services, and Tom Digenan, CIO of Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), for a frank conversation about the promise - and the misconceptions - of values-aligned investing. Together they cut through the noise to explore whether mission-driven portfolios must sacrifice returns, how AI and rapid structural ch...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, host Kenny Pitman, Senior Director, Alternative Investments, takes a closer look at the evolving private debt landscape with David Scopelliti, Global Head of Private Equity and Private Debt and Scott Wilkinson, Head of Private Debt, APAC. Tackling recent headlines – from AI-driven repricing in the software sector and widening credit spreads to liquidity strain...

As traditional banks step back from short-term lending due to regulatory pressures, a significant gap has opened up in global commerce, and alternative lenders are stepping in. In our latest episode of the Critical Thinking podcast, Deborah Wardle sits down with Gerard Sheehan and Gavin Dredge to unpack why trade finance is becoming one of the fastest-growing areas in private credit. They explore...

In this episode, we join Roman Knipprath, Andreas Vermeiren and Arco van Oord to hear how insurers can strengthen their approach to the Prudent Person Principle (PPP) as regulatory scrutiny increases. From valuation and liquidity to governance, stress testing and data-driven decision-making, the discussion explores practical steps to evidence prudence and build more resilient private market portfo...

In this episode, Anne Marie Schultz, US Investments Commercial Leader, Bernardo Serpa Pimentel, Senior Investment Consultant, and Michel Meert, European Consulting Leader for Endowments, Foundations and Family Offices, explore the idea of a “Return on Resilience.”  Resilience is not just about endurance, it’s about adaptability, the capacity to respond to disruption with speed and confidence. Gove...

Faith-based investing is evolving quickly, driven by advances in data, greater transparency, and more sophisticated portfolio design. Today, some investors are demonstrating their conviction through a range of strategies that seek to align mission with return. In this episode of Critical Thinking , host Michael Lernihan, Global Commercial Leader for Mercer’s Investments and Retirement Business, pr...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, Mercer’s U.S. Defined Contribution Leader Holly Verdeyen is joined by Matthew Calloway, Principal, Mercer’s Law and Policy Group, Kelly Henson, Defined Contribution Investment Strategy Leader, and Matt Vokes, Senior Director of Investment Alternatives. They explore the evolving landscape of private investments within U.S. DC plans, including the impact of the...

As institutional and retail capital continue to flow into private markets, we believe the infrastructure supporting investment decisions hasn’t fully kept pace. The real challenge isn’t just access to opportunity; it’s access to reliable, data. In this episode of Critical Thinking , Mercer’s Global Head of Analytics and Portfolio Solutions, Rob Ansari is joined by Chris Sparenberg, Head of Busines...

The global economy is becoming more complex, raising the stakes for leaders navigating this change. In this episode of CEO Perspectives , part of Mercer’s Critical Thinking series that take you inside the C-Suite for peer-to-peer conversations with leaders influencing decision making across the investment industry, Mick Dempsey, Global President of Mercer Investments & Retirement, is joined by...

In this episode of The CEO Perspectives, Mick Dempsey, President of Mercer Investments & Retirement business, sits down with Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management, for a candid conversation on the structural forces reshaping private markets. As one of the architects of the convergence between insurance capital and private credit, Marc offers his perspective on how this model is evolving...

Over the past five years, we've seen vast changes in interest rate and inflation levels globally, making it important for investors to understand what is driving market dynamics and the impact on portfolio execution and risk management. In this episode of Critical Thinking, Mercer’s UK Head of Investments Helen Hope is joined by US LDI Investments Leader, Brett Dutton and Dan Cunnington, Head...

We're excited to launch the first episode of our new Critical Thinking series: 1 Theme, 2 CIOs, 3 Questions . Each episode focuses on one key investment theme, featuring two leading Chief Investment Officers who tackle three big questions shaping today's investment landscape. In this debut episode, Mercer's Andre Boucher sits down with Jim Mahoney, CIO of Bon Secours Mercy Health, a...

With developed markets facing higher debt burdens, elevated rates, and ongoing uncertainty, investors are increasingly considering frontier market debt as a means of diversifying portfolios and achieving long-term growth potential. In this episode of Critical Thinking, host Jean de Kock is joined by Anja Needham and Adam Shenton. Together, they discuss the fundamentals of frontier market debt, the...

With increasing uncertainty and market complexity putting decision makers under mounting pressure, governance shines through as a tool for gaining a potential competitive edge.  In this episode, Helen Hope is joined by Jay Love and Boutros Thiery, to unpack what good governance is, explain why poor structures may hinder investors, and break down how to make governance work for your individual need...

Private credit has evolved rapidly over the past decade, becoming one of the most in-demand asset classes for investors seeking diversification, income, and resilience in portfolios. Yet with this growth has come added complexity, from structural shifts in lending markets to new product innovations and heightened regulatory changes.  In this episode, host Alecia DeCuollo introduces Private markets...