Investment solutions and OCIO services for institutional investors

We offer research, financial tools and investment solutions to help you achieve your investment goals. Consider us your outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO). Working as an extension of your team, we address issues such as investment governance and due diligence. We also cover risk mitigation, sustainability, alternative investments, and cost management. We flex our services to suit your requirements and determine the best way to future-proof your portfolio.
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Addressing common investment challenges

Balancing investor risks, returns and reputational requirements, has become an increasingly complex challenge. Investors need to be in a position to make efficient decisions. They therefore need access to the right expertise and resources. That’s why many investors are looking externally for strategic portfolio management advice, access to manager research and support with asset allocation and day-to-day operations.

Investors are using outsourced investment solutions to address a range of common challenges. These include cost pressures, operational inefficiencies, resource constraints, regulatory changes, manager sourcing, accessing private market opportunities, integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into portfolios, and impact investing.

More and more investors are recognizing the benefits of collaborating with external and unbiased financial service providers. However, some reservations and myths remain. These are addressed below.

Common myths about investment solutions and OCIO

These solutions are basically the same, with different terminologies used in different regions. Whatever name is used, they all aim to provide portfolio solutions that help institutional investors meet their financial goals more efficiently. We call them investment solutions. We can help you to determine the tools and strategies that will work best for your portfolio(s). We are very flexible and will work with you in a way that best suits your needs.

Our clients always remain in control. We flex our services to suit your needs, and all investment decisions are made according to your stated objectives and risk appetite. By assigning certain day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities to our team, you will benefit from the expertise of a large and experienced partner. We will help you manage the risks in your client portfolios and identify new market opportunities. We will also reduce the burden of implementation, monitoring and reporting. This will give you time to focus on the more important responsibilities within your role.

Every investor is different, with their own goals, objectives and challenges. Regardless of the size of your portfolio and firm, we can help by providing bespoke investment strategies. These will be implemented, managed and monitored by specialists aligned with your interests.

You can choose the solutions that suit you. We offer everything from bespoke investment-strategy design and implementation to the monitoring of managers. We are here to support you, and can flex to meet your changing requirements along the way.

Key considerations for institutional investors

Demands and challenges for portfolio managers are intensifying. Pressure is growing to explore new opportunities and pursue compelling returns. We have identified three key considerations to help you position your portfolio for success.

Experience has shown us that precise and intuitive portfolio governance and due diligence are key. They will help to give you the confidence that your investments are meeting your needs, and that your asset allocation has been tested under multiple scenarios.

Investors are incorporating ESG considerations into portfolios. They are also turning their attention to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues, in relation to both managers and strategies. They are seeking to strike a balance between doing the right thing and delivering on investment commitments. This is otherwise known as impact-investing. We work with clients to meet this challenge and to find an optimal balance that will best meet their needs.

Alternative investments provide an opportunity to guard against the volatility of equities, hedge against inflation, and achieve better returns. Hedge funds can provide a great way to diversify out of equities without sacrificing returns. Private equity investments aim to attain a significantly higher rate of return than publicly traded equities. Real assets, such as infrastructure and real estate, can provide similar benefits alongside a measure of protection against inflation. Our global scale and resources can help you access all types of alternative investments, tailored to your needs and at competitive fee levels.

Three steps for optimizing your investment process

Your investment strategy and oversight processes should support your investment goals. There are three stages to consider as part of this review.
  1. Review and adapt your governance framework
    It is vital to keep your portfolio on track. If you need to improve your governance operating model, our investment solutions can provide the support you require, both now and in the future.
  2. Assess your portfolio against your future objectives
    Understanding how investments are performing takes vigilance. Investors must also search for new opportunities in order to future-proof their portfolios. We can help you have confidence that your investment strategy reflects your risk, return and reputational requirements.
  3. Test your ability to adapt and respond to market movements
    You need to be in a position to rebalance your portfolio quickly and effectively if you are faced with market volatility. We can help you install optimized decision-making processes. These will ensure your portfolio is responsive and aligned to your outcome requirements.

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Solutions to help you achieve your investment goals

Many investors seek guidance and support with investment strategy design, manager research and strategic asset allocations. They also look for assistance with the day-to-day operations of their investment programs. We call these services investment solutions. Investment solutions can also be referred to as outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) , delegated solutions, or fiduciary management solutions.

Our investment solutions offer a range of tools to help you solve your investment challenges. They provide the support of investment professionals, while still allowing you to maintain control over your investments. They will give you added confidence and can help reduce your workload.

  • Governance and due diligence

    Leverage our expertise to expand your governance capabilities and improve your due diligence processes. This will help you to identify optimum investment opportunities.

  • Risk management

    Be better prepared with our risk-management framework. This will help you navigate today’s most pressing risks and tomorrow’s potential hurdles.

  • Investing sustainably

    If you want to benefit from long-term investments that match your sustainability goals, we aim to help you make choices that will help to deliver true societal gains, alongside a good return potential.

  • Manager research and sourcing

    We can help you optimize your investment strategy by engaging our global research network and accessing some of the world’s best investment managers and ideas.

  • Implementation services

    We will gain an understanding of your goals and then work as an extension of your team. We’ll help you improve your investment governance, management and implementation. Contact us to find out more.

  • Alternative investments

    Gaining exposure to private assets or hedge funds can diversify a portfolio’s risk and return profile, while aiming to increase its capacity to deal with market volatility. Leverage our expertise in the field to boost your access to new opportunities.

Addressing complex investment challenges

Our outcome-orientated solutions bring a holistic perspective. They will allow you to focus on the things that matter most to you. Our breadth and depth of experience can help you build confidence in your strategic decisions as we act as your trusted advisor, aiming to help you succeed.
Michael Dempsey

President, Investments and Retirement

Time, expertise and confidence

Lean on our consultants to provide the advice, insight, implementation and operations your portfolio needs to help you invest with confidence. Explore what our range of investment solutions could mean for your portfolio today.
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    1 June 30, 2024. The assets under advisement data (AUA Data) reported here include aggregated assets under advisement for Mercer Investments LLC [and its affiliated companies globally (Mercer)]. The AUA Data has been derived from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, third-party custodians or investment managers, regulatory filings, and client self-reported data. Mercer has not independently verified the data sourced from third parties in compiling the AUA Data. Where available, the AUA Data are provided as of the date indicated (the Reporting Date). To the extent information was not available as of the Reporting Date; information from a date closest in time to the Reporting Date, which may be of a date more or less recent in time than the Reporting Date, was included in the AUA Data. The AUA Data include assets of clients that have engaged Mercer to provide ongoing advice. Global AUA includes clients that have engaged Mercer to provide project-based services at any time within the 12-month period ending on the Reporting Date, as well as assets of clients that subscribe to Mercer’s Manager Research database delivered through the MercerInsight® platform as of the Reporting Date.

    2 December 31, 2024. The assets under management data (the AUM Data) reported here include aggregated assets for which Mercer Investments LLC [and its global affiliates] provide discretionary investment management services as of the dates indicated. With respect to certain commitment-based private funds managed by Mercer Investments LLC or its global affiliates, the AUM data includes committed but uncalled capital, which may also be reflected in client assets otherwise managed by Mercer Investments LLC or its global affiliates. The AUM Data reported here may differ from regulatory assets under management reported in the Form ADV for Mercer Investments. For regulatory assets under management, please see the Form ADV for Mercer Investments which is available upon request by contacting Compliance Department, Mercer Investments 99 High Street, Boston, MA 02110.

    3 September 30, 2024

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