Mercer Appoints Max Messervy Head of Sustainable Investment, Americas

Mercer, a global leader in redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being, and a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), has named Max Messervy Head of Sustainable Investment (SI), Americas. Max will work across Mercer’s Investment & Retirement business to help bring Mercer’s expertise and scale to uncover top sustainable investment opportunities for its clients around the world.

“Today, 36 percent of workers worldwide are looking for their organization to offer socially responsible and environmentally-friendly investing options in their company’s retirement plans, according to Mercer’s 2022 Global Talent Trends study. Combined with continuing regulatory change, particularly in the US from the Department of Labor and the Securities Exchange Commission, investors and plan sponsors need to be constantly thinking about how to meet the changing demands of their stakeholders as well as their regulatory obligations. Amid a growing market for sustainable investment strategies, investors are looking for robust approaches to managing the risks of climate change and other ESG issues. They also need to understand how to invest and avoid greenwashing when evaluating ESG products,” said Max Messervy.

Mercer’s award-winning Sustainable Investment (SI) team has over 20 dedicated professionals and 45 with integrated SI capabilities globally.¹ Across Mercer’s Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) practice globally to date, Mercer has committed more than USD $80B of diversified funds to net-zero targets and implemented USD $30B in dedicated sustainable investment solutions, across 13 products. Additionally, outside the US, Mercer’s Private Investment Partners (PIP) strategies have deployed capital over the past eight years as part of its dedicated Global Impact strategy². In the US, PIP VI³, the sixth vintage in Mercer’s PIP series, also featured a newly created fund, “Leap”, which is a dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion-focused (DE&I) strategy available to US investors.

“Mercer’s clients understand the increasing pressure to balance their fiduciary obligations with the interests of broader stakeholders and new ESG and climate-related regulations,” Messervy added. “The shift from voluntary, investor-led sustainability approaches towards greater regulatory scrutiny of sustainable investment practices will impact investors of all sizes across all sectors.”

Based in Boston, Max will be responsible for sustainable investments for clients across North and South America and report to Jo Holden, Global Head of Investment Research, Mercer.

“Since joining Mercer in 2018, Max has helped dozens of clients navigate the shifting regulatory and stakeholder pressures around sustainable investment issues,” said Jo Holden. “His diverse experience with private, government, and not-for-profit sectors will be valuable in helping asset owners as they pursue strong risk-adjusted returns in an increasingly complex environment.”

Max previously held the role of Senior Consultant in Mercer’s US Sustainable Investment team, serving as a strategic advisor on sustainable investment strategies, climate change, and impact investment approaches throughout investment processes. Prior to joining Mercer, Max spent nearly four years working in the Insurance practice at Ceres in Boston, a leading not-for-profit sustainability advocacy organization, and worked in various capacities with Canadian federal and provincial governments. Max holds a Master of Public Policy from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, and an Honors Religious Studies degree from McGill University.

Mercer’s climate transition advice and Analytics for Climate Transition (ACT) tool has been used by nearly thirty clients representing about USD $800B in assets globally since its launch in November 2020. The company also actively participates in the US and UK Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group (ICSWG) initiatives and many global climate and sustainability industry initiatives.

Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan, which has made the commitment to setting and executing low-carbon transition strategies that chart a path to net-zero across its operations by 2050 and reducing its emissions by 50 percent by 2030. This commitment complements important work being done across the company to support the transition to a low carbon economy.

About Mercer

Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercer’s approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with 83,000 colleagues and annual revenue of approximately $20 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter.

¹ Data on file. As at January 2022.

² Figures include investments made within PIP Funds managed by Mercer Alternatives AG, an affiliate of Mercer Investments LLC and are not available for investment by US persons. Mercer Alternatives AG and Mercer Investments LLC each share investment committees and draw on the global resources of Mercer Alternatives in managing their respective funds. Total assets deployed includes all PIP assets.

³ PIP VI consists of a US vehicle for US investors and a Luxembourg vehicle for non-US investors. This press release does not constitute an offer to invest in any Mercer private markets investment vehicle. PIP VI closed in Q4 2021.

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