Critical thinking

In this episode (date of recording: February 28, 2025), Lisa Kots, Head of US Wealth Management Portfolio Management at Mercer, is joined by Rupert Watson, Global Head of Economics and Dynamic Asset Allocation, and Julius Bendikas, European Head of Economics and Dynamic Asset Allocation. Together, they explore the global economic outlook for Q1 2025, analyzing key market trends, potential risks, a...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, Jo Holden, Global Head of Investment Research and Advisory at Mercer, is joined by Leslie Maasdorp, CEO at British International Investment (BII) and Matt Robinson, Head of Private Capital Mobilisation at BII, to explore the world of development finance institutions (DFIs), capital mobilisation, and how DFIs can open up new investment opportunities for institu...

In this episode of Critical thinking, Michel Meert, European Consulting Leader for Endowments, Foundations and Family Offices, is joined by Marieke de Roo, European Sales Leader for Endowments, Foundations & Single-Family Offices, and Teena Jilka, Senior Investment Adviser to explore what's top of mind for single-family offices over the next year and beyond. As inflation moves back toward...

In this episode of Critical Thinking, Sinead Leahy, Co-Head of Cardano Advisory is joined by Nick Gibson, Managing Director, Cardano Advisory, and Dan Jackson, M&A Senior Principal at Mercer, to explore the key findings from our recent report, ‘Unlocking value and opportunities from UK pension funds – a private equity perspective’. There has been a significant shift in the Defined Benefit (DB)...

In this episode of Critical thinking, Cara Williams, Senior Partner and Global ESG and Sustainability Leader at Mercer, is joined by Lovey Sidhu, Sustainable Investment Specialist in Mercer's Global Strategic Research Team, and Daniel Klier, CEO of South Pole, to explore the dynamic challenges and potential opportunities in the evolving carbon market. The discussion addresses the elements nee...

Navigating the challenges of modern pension provision requires employers to effectively communicate and implement changes in pension plans while keeping employees' best interests at heart. In this episode hosted by Mercer's Tej Patel, Fiona Brown shares her own views on the evolving landscape of employer retirement offerings, based on her decades-long experience in the sector, most recen...

In this episode of Critical thinking, Amit Popat, Global Head of Financial Institutions at Mercer, is joined by David Morrow, European Insurance Proposition Leader, and Stephanie Thomes, a Senior Investment Strategist in Mercer’s Insurance team, to explore Mercer’s outlook for insurers in 2025. This year’s paper reflects a transitional phase for the economy, defined by shifts in structural factors...

In this episode of Critical Thinking , Jo Holden, Global Head of Investment Research at Mercer, is joined by Nick White, Global Strategic Research Director, and Matthew Scott, Strategic Research Principal, to explore Mercer's "Themes and Opportunities 2025" paper, specifically focusing on this year's theme, "Swing State." This concept reflects an economy in transition...

For the past 16 years, Mercer has been benchmarking retirement systems across the globe. The Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2024 uses more than 50 indicators to assess adequacy, sustainability and integrity across the world's pensions systems, highlighting their relative advantages and suggested areas for reform. In our latest episode, David Know, Senior Partner at Mercer, is joine...

Are you a French speaker looking to deep dive on co-investments and secondary market opportunities? In this first episode in French of the podcast "Critical Thinking," host Matthieu Mougeot is joined by investment specialists Maud-Kelly Crapeau and Pierre Luc Gariépy to discuss the growing interest in private market co-investments and secondary investments. They highlight their shorter i...

As birth rates decline and our population ages, the ripple effects of this demographic transition are felt across all areas of our lives, from financial well-being, long-term health, caregiving, career trajectory and retirement planning.   In our latest episode, Haleh Nazeri, Longevity Lead at the World Economic Forum, joins Mercer’s Global DB Segment Leader, Graham Pearce, to unpack the Longevity...

Join us to explore some of the key challenges Asian allocators are facing in today's dynamic market.  In this episode of Critical Thinking, live from the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Hong Kong, Mercer's Michael Lernihan, Adeline Tan, and Garvan McCarthy discuss how to build agile portfolios that can weather economic storms and capitalize on emerging trends.   Opinions expressed are...

With diverse and often divergent economic backdrops among the region’s economies, as well as complex and evolving risks, navigating the Asian alternative investments landscape can require expertise and local knowledge.   In our latest Critical Thinking podcast, recorded live from the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Hong Kong, Robert Ronneberger, Raelan Lambert and David Scopelliti explore what a...

Values-aligned investing is becoming increasingly prevalent among asset owners, but the way in which investors incorporate these considerations into portfolios has evolved over time. In the latest episode of Critical Thinking, Marina Batliwalla, Senior Investment Consultant, is joined by Rich Dell, Mercer’s Global Head of Equities, and Tamara Larsen, Mercer’s US Values-Aligned & Sustainable In...

In our latest episode, recorded at the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Melbourne, Australia, Rebecca Jacques and David Scopelliti are joined by Pengana Capital Group’s CEO, Russel Pillemer to discuss both the challenges and opportunities in the fast-growing private debt space. They break down the historic drivers of growth in the asset class, and assess its development in Australia, a market in...

Remarkable growth in the captive insurance space has been driven by a range of factors over the recent past  – from an extended hard market to the expansion of risks requiring underwriting.   In our latest episode of Critical Thinking, we dive into the world of captive insurers as William Gibbons is joined by Ellen Charnley, President of Marsh Captive Solutions, and Chris Tschida, Head of US Insur...

Join Amit Popat, Eryn Bacewich and Joshua Zwick as they unpack the findings from our Mercer and Oliver Wyman 2024 Global Insurance Investment Survey in the latest episode of Critical Thinking.  They dive into the key investment themes, outlook and risks highlighted by the survey and assess the road ahead for insurance portfolios through the second half of the year. Read the full survey report here...

Higher for longer interest rates are having profound effects on endowment and foundation portfolios across the US. The volatility this creates is making it more challenging to construct portfolios for the long-term and creating questions around liquidity management. Bill Burns and Meggan O'Shea join Texas Hemmaplardh in the latest episode of Critical Thinking recorded from the Mercer Global I...

Market volatility, higher rates and an ageing population are creating a complex and rapidly evolving landscape for US pensions. Rich Nuzum, Scott Jarboe and Kelly Henson help us unpack how these complex and converging risks are playing out across US defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the latest episode Critical Thinking recorded at the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Nashville. Op...

What goes into selecting the best hedge fund managers and when you find them how do you gain access to these “unicorn” managers that are often closed to new investors. Niall O’Sullivan and Dave McMillan join Raelan Lambert to explain Mercer’s approach in our latest episode of Critical Thinking recorded at the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Nashville.  Opinions expressed are those of the speaker...

Amid market volatility, we believe agility as a driver and enhancer of performance – has become the key attribute in building portfolios. However, not all volatility warrants the same responsiveness. Olaolu Aganga and Jay Love join Marc Cordover in our latest episode of Critical Thinking recorded at the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Nashville to help us pick out the signal in all the noise.  O...

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers based on market conditions as of the date of recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions. In this episode, Mercer's Michel Meert is joined by colleague Johnny Adji and Andrew Hunt from Marsh. Together, they delve into the world of alternative investments for Single Family Offices (SFOs), explorin...

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers based on market conditions as of the date of recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions. In this episode, Gregg Sommer is joined by colleagues Marieke de Roo and Casey Wamsley to discuss alternative investments in the wealth management space. Together they explore the democratization of private marke...

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers based on market conditions as of the date of recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions. In this episode, Orla Aherne sits down with Ronan O'Gara, Head Coach at La Rochelle and former professional rugby player as he shares his insights, experiences, and lessons learned on and off the field. Toge...

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers based on market conditions as of the date of recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions. Join us as Eimear Walsh, Head of Investments for Europe, takes you live to the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Dublin, where we dive deep into the world of Private Markets.  The growth of private markets presen...