Mercer boosts capabilities for Asian push

Mercer Investment Consulting has boosted its pan-Asian capabilities by shifting its regional head from Sydney to Singapore and with a plan to expand its Mercer Sentinel implementation unit.

The moves follow the appointment this year of a new regional business head for the multi-manager range of funds, which have so far been confined to Australia.

Simon Eagleton, the regional head of Mercer IC, moves to Singapore form Sydney next week to oversee the region for the company. He has been replaced in Sydney by Graeme Mather, who was imported from Mercer’s London office earlier this year.

Eagleton said the firm would announce soon an important hire for the Sentinel business, which covers custody advice and transition management, in Singapore.

He is responsible for the Mercer IC offices in Tokyo, Korea, Hong Kong, India, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

The moves follow the appointment of experienced consultant Stephen Roberts, formerly of Russell Investments in Australia, to oversee expansion of the multi-manager range in Asia.

Mercer has been very successful operating a separate range of multi-manage trusts, called “master trusts”, while maintaining a consulting and administration business under the Mercer IC banner.

Eagleton said there would be “product launches” in Asia in the near future, to capitalise on the opportunities in the wealth management space. Mercer’s Australian trusts have about A$17 billion ($13.97 billion) invested.

As previously reported, Mercer has recently advised pension fund clients to reconsider their global mandates with a view to giving a permanently higher exposure to emerging markets, particularly Asian markets.