This content is for institutional investors and for information purposes only. It does not contain investment, financial, legal, tax or any other advice and should not be relied upon for this purpose. The materials are not tailored to your particular personal and/or financial situation. If you require advice based on your specific circumstances, you should contact a professional adviser. Opinions expressed are those of the speakers as of the date of the recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions.

In this milestone 100th episode of Critical Thinking, U.S. Treasury Secretary Dr. Janet Yellen joins Mercer’s Niall O’Sullivan for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces reshaping the global economy. From inflation and interest rates to geopolitical fragmentation and the green transition, Dr. Yellen offers her perspective on the challenges facing policymakers and markets alike, as well as the opportunities for long-term investors to support a more resilient, inclusive global financial system.

In this podcast episode, Mercer’s U.S. CIO Olaolu Aganga sits down with fellow Mercer CIOs Christine Tessier, Garvan McCarthy, and Kylie Willment. Together, they tackle a big question swirling in markets today: Is the U.S. still the top spot for investors, and do better opportunities lie elsewhere?

They explore how market uncertainty is creating both risk and opportunities around the world and why investors should stay invested despite the current volatility.

What does investment governance look like when success is defined by more than just returns? In this episode, Andy Farrington, Mercer's Multinational Investments Leader, is joined by Lee House of ABB’s Group Pension Management Team and Deborah Frost, Chair Elect of Mercer UK Master Trust, to discuss how large asset owners may navigate complex decisions across global pension plans.  Together, they explore how to seek to balance risk, stakeholder alignment, long-term sustainability, and value for money across both defined benefit (“DB”) and defined contribution (“DC”) plans. From global DB derisking strategies to member engagement innovations in DC, the discussion surfaces the practical realities of governance across borders.

This podcast contains statements on historical performance which may not be repeated in the future. Please note that returns on investments are not guaranteed.

In this episode, Alan Synnott, Mercer’s Global Head of Real Assets, is joined by Anne Koeman-Sharapova and Simon James to explore how institutional investors are repositioning their real estate allocations in light of market resets and evolving sector dynamics.

They discuss why real estate remains a core private markets asset, where valuation corrections have opened potential opportunities, trends they are seeing across different geographies and sectors, and how global diversification of real estate investing may offer potential benefits for today’s investors.

This podcast contains statements on historical performance which may not be repeated in the future. Please note that returns on investments are not guaranteed.

As trade tensions, uncertainty over the direction of interest rates, and pension reforms reshape the investment landscape, liability-driven investing (LDI) may provide a source of stability. In this episode, Jeffrey Dissmann, who leads Mercer’s Investments business in Germany, is joined by Sheena Frost, Lead of the Europe ex-UK Portfolio Management Solutions Team at Mercer and Rik Klerkx, Chief Investment Officer LDI and Private Markets at Cardano Netherlands, to discuss how investors across Europe are adapting their LDI strategies.

The discussion spans regulatory variations, the resurgence of bonds, inflation hedging challenges, and the operational plumbing that may facilitate resilient portfolios. Together, they examine the trade-offs between swaps and sovereign bonds, the growing role of private assets, and lessons learned from the UK’s LDI crisis.

In this episode, Niall O’Sullivan, Global Solutions Chief Investment Officer, is joined by Olaolu Aganga, US Chief Investment Officer, Rupert Watson, Global Head of Economics & DAA, and Mike Forestner, Global Chief Investment Officer, Private Markets, to examine the causes of recent market volatility and the implications across public and private markets. 

The conversation leverages Mercer’s investment relationships with both asset owners and asset managers to share insights on how industry leaders are responding, as well as our own thinking on how to approach the rest of 2025. In particular, we argue this is a crucial moment for long-term investors to trust the resilience of their portfolios, which have been designed to withstand short-term market fluctuations.

Operational Due Diligence is becoming an increasingly critical part of the investment process as asset managers navigate evolving risks in a rapidly changing environment. From regulatory shifts and technological advancements to the growing complexity of private markets, investors must ensure they have a clear view of the operational resilience of the asset managers they work with.

In a recent episode of Critical Thinking, Manish Solanki, Head of Mercer Sentinel Group Europe, was joined by Tony Martinez, Head of Mercer Sentinel Americas, and Ashleigh McDowell, Principal at Mercer Sentinel Group, to explore why operational due diligence is more important for asset managers than ever before.

The conversation covers the impact of new regulations such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act, the growing role of AI and cybersecurity in investment operations, and how ODD is evolving to assess boutique and emerging managers in private markets.

Mercer and British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, recently launched a new initiative to help scale up climate finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). As part of the £100m Mobilisation Facility launched by the UK Prime Minister, half has been ringfenced for asset manager proposals that can attract institutional investment.

BII is inviting managers across private equity, private debt, and infrastructure to design investment strategies that mobilise long-term capital into EMDEs while delivering large-scale climate impact. In partnership with Mercer, a rigorous evaluation process will shortlist up to three proposals for entry into BII’s Investment Committee process.

In a recent episode of Critical Thinking, Mercer spoke to BII to shine a light on the world of development finance institutions (DFIs), capital mobilisation, and how DFIs like BII this can open up new investment opportunities for institutional investors in EMDEs. 

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) landscape in recent years, with many schemes moving from a deficit position to surplus. Surveying over 100 private equity (PE) firms, we uncovered the opportunity for private equity to unlock value from UK pension funds.

Key takeaways include:

The M&A opportunity from better funded DB schemes: pension schemes moving from a deficit to surplus means that schemes are no longer a blocker to M&A activity but rather a potential value driver, making a target business more attractive. Moreover, better funded schemes may mean less regulatory involvement in a deal, and less risk of deal value leakage.

Investors are seeking to access surpluses: Companies can often access pension surpluses when a scheme is wound up via a transfer to an insurance company, however, the government recently announced upcoming reforms that are designed to facilitate the release of surpluses on an ongoing basis. Many companies are delaying insurer ‘buyouts’ to capture the potential upside, while some are already using surpluses to help fund their Defined Contribution (DC) schemes.

What can be done to channel more pension money into PE: While mature, closed DB schemes have reduced investments into illiquid assets such as Private Equity, there are potential opportunities for greater allocations into private capital across open DB schemes, Local Government Pension Schemes, and DC schemes. The upcoming UK Pension Schemes Bill may facilitate consolidation of these pension schemes, which is designed to incentivise them to invest in a broader set of assets, such as private capital. At the same time, greater trustee education and engagement between pension funds and the PE sector will be crucial to unlocking further investment.

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 recently at Rolls Royce. Key insights include redesigning plans to make them future-fit, ensuring employees feel financially secure as they plan for retirement, and the role of employers in fostering trust.

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, driven by shifts in monetary policy, supply chain dynamics, and technological innovation. These forces require investors to adjust their strategies, embracing diversification and preparing for a broader range of scenarios.

Key takeaways include:

• Private markets de-siloing: The report highlights changes in private market dynamics, with slower distributions and longer holding periods. There is a growing case for emerging markets (EM) over US investments, signaling the need for broader diversification.
• The security of everything: The interconnection between security and sustainability, rising dissatisfaction in institutions, with increasing political instability requiring careful risk management.
• Circular economy: The importance of the circular economy, noting its potential to create new investment opportunities as businesses increasingly adopt sustainable practices to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.

Citations:

1. Investment consultant of the year & Thought leadership paper on sustainable investing, Mercer Environmental Finance
2. Completing the Picture - How the circular economy tackles climate change

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 Economy. Discover how employers could reshape their employee benefits and pension plans to support their workforce and have the potential to enhance financial resilience in response to this transformative trend.

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 this episode.

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 this episode.

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 this episode of Critical Thinking recorded at the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Nashville. 

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 this episode of Critical Thinking.

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. Together with Mercer’s Michael Lernihan, they share their perspectives on leadership, teamwork and achieving success in a competitive environment.

Join us as Mark McNulty, Europe Wealth Leader, takes you live to the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Dublin to discuss the theme for this year’s Forum “An Age of Agility”.

In this episode, Mark is joined by Mercer colleagues, Garvan McCarthy and Jo Holden to explore the key findings from our recent Themes and Opportunities 2024 report and discuss the strategies and insights that could help investors in this age of agility.

In this episode, our host Mark McNulty, Europe Wealth Leader, takes you live to the Mercer Global Investment Forum in Dublin. Together with Rich Nuzum and Jo Holden, they explore the impact of misinformation and disinformation on the investment landscape.

Misinformation was identified as the number one risk in the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, making it a topic that demands our attention. Join us as we delve into the challenges of quantifying and assessing these risks in the investment sphere, especially in the face of rapidly evolving information flow and the integration of AI in investment processes.

Following the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, Pat Tomlinson, President at Mercer and Nick Studer, CEO of Oliver Wyman joined Amy Barnes, Head of Sustainability and Climate at Marsh, to unpack some of the key themes emerging on the ground.

They discuss why companies need to be more competitive in a more muted growth environment; how health access has become a priority topic for an increasing number of employers; and why companies need to think more about political risks going into 2024.

You can find all the reports mentioned in this podcast at Marsh McLennan’s website at www.marshmclennan.com

In this episode we explore the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion in supply chains and delve into the crucial role that DEI plays in shaping and transforming supply chains for the better. To discuss, Cara Williams, Global ESG and Sustainability Leader for Mercer is joined by Kevin Davidson, Director, Esprit de Corps Consulting Ltd., Phil Styles, Diversity Supply Chain Leader, Mercer and James Crask, Head of Strategic Risk Consulting & Supply Chain Risk Advisory Leader, Marsh. Together they explore the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for creating inclusive and sustainable supply chains that can benefit both businesses and communities.