Built for advisers: Inside Mercer’s scalable and tailored portfolio platform

In a market environment marked by growing complexity, evolving client needs and tighter margins, the ability to design investment portfolios that are both scalable and highly customised has never been more valuable. That was the central message from Rebecca Jacques, head of wealth management investment solutions at Mercer, as she addressed the insiders community during a panel session at The Inside Network’s Investment Leaders Forum.

“We’re seeing a profound shift in how investment solutions are delivered,” Jacques began. “The end-client increasingly expects sophistication without complication. They want access to institutional-quality portfolios, but through the lens of personal relevance.” For Mercer, that means building portfolios that are informed by institutional discipline, yet refined to reflect individual adviser and practice objectives.

At the heart of Mercer’s approach is its Portfolio Solutions Group — a global investment platform tailored for wealth management firms and financial advisers. “We work with advice businesses of varying sizes, helping them access manager research, implementation and portfolio construction tools that would be hard to build independently,” Jacques explained. “This is not about model portfolios on a shelf. It’s about strategic alignment.”

One of the persistent challenges in wealth management is the balancing act between efficiency and control. Jacques is acutely aware of this tension. “Some practices want to delegate more, others want to retain control over the asset allocation or the fund selection,” she said. “Our role is to meet them where they are. Whether it’s a fully delegated mandate or a co-designed solution, we’re flexible in how we deliver value.”

With over 7,000 investment strategies under ongoing review and more than 200 manager research professionals globally, Mercer’s scale allows its clients to focus more on client conversations and less on back-office complexity. But scale, Jacques noted, is only valuable when applied with precision. “It’s about giving advisers the confidence that their portfolios are well-supported — backed by deep research, but also built to reflect their client promise.”

Jacques also emphasised the importance of transparency and communication. “It’s not just what’s in the portfolio, it’s how you talk about it. Clients want to know what they own, why they own it, and how it contributes to their goals,” she said. Mercer supports advice firms with clear reporting, regular updates, and portfolio narratives that go beyond market commentary.

One of the most notable trends she highlighted is the renewed demand for private-market access. “There’s definitely more interest in private assets, particularly from high-net-worth individuals who understand their long-term potential,” she observed. Through Mercer Private Portfolios, advisers gain access to diversified private equity, private debt and infrastructure investments — all within managed accounts that are operationally practical for advice practices.

Jacques is careful, however, not to over-state the ease of private markets. “Liquidity, client suitability, and timing are key. These are sophisticated assets that need to be matched with the right client outcomes. Our job is to help firms evaluate that fit and integrate it responsibly,” she said.

Another recurring theme was the value of risk calibration. “A model might look elegant in theory, but what matters is how it behaves through volatility,” Jacques pointed out. “We spend a lot of time working with firms on stress-testing and scenario analysis. It’s not just about chasing returns. It’s about building confidence that the portfolio can carry the client through uncertainty.”

Looking ahead, she sees greater collaboration between research, advice and technology. “The adviser-client relationship remains the centrepiece. But surrounding that with scalable, intelligent portfolio design — that’s where we think the future lies,” she said. Mercer’s tools and investment governance frameworks are designed to make that integration seamless and compliant.

For Jacques and her team, success is defined less by beating benchmarks and more by strengthening the practices they support. “When we help a firm win back time, lift consistency, or better articulate its investment philosophy, that’s a win,” she said. “This is a partnership. We’re not here to replace judgement, but to elevate it.”

As wealth management continues to evolve, Mercer’s Portfolio Solutions Group remains committed to enabling advisers to deliver modern, resilient and transparent investment outcomes — underpinned by global insights, but tailored for local relevance.