Mercer is perhaps best known as a global provider of investment consulting and research services which aim to help asset managers make better investment decisions.

But the organisation is also oversees hundreds of billions of dollars in assets, albeit via external fund managers. It administers numerous endowment and investment funds, as well as the $71 billion Mercer Super Trust.

It also operates a retail wealth management business following its acquisition of BT Super in April 2023. Global assets under management stood at $US492 billion as at the end of June 2024.

Shannon Reilly is Mercer’s head of equities for the Pacific Region. In this interview, he explains Mercer’s approach to portfolio management, which leans heavily on outsourcing to selected fund managers who are ultimately responsible for stock selection.