Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes and, in particular, improving benefits and investment solutions. For us, the focus is on the employee, and a well-designed pension plan plays a central role. Our core consulting services in the pension sector include: actuarial advice for companies and pension funds including pension insurance expert mandates, brokerage and benchmarking of affiliation solutions and pension plans, investment advisory services such as ALM, ESG policy advice and implementation, tenders for investment solutions, a database for investment products, investment organisation and governance as well as investment controlling. Additionally, Mercer provides full or partial investment delegation solutions across all asset classes.
With approximately 25,000 employees in 43 countries, Mercer operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan, together with Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman.
Mercer is a leading provider of investments and occupational pensions, advising local and multinational companies, pension funds, banks and insurance companies, family offices, and foundations, among others. Over 100 employees in Switzerland draw on the expertise of approximately 25,000 colleagues worldwide in their daily work.
Better Benefits and Digital User Experience
Brokerage
We advise you on all aspects of occupational pensions and leverage our broad market knowledge to offer you the best solutions for your challenges. In addition to reviewing your current situation and supporting you in selecting and implementing the right pension model for you, we also handle coordination between insurers, communication with your employees, and information on current legislative changes. Through regular tenders and our size in the international insurance market, we optimize your cost structure while simultaneously covering all necessary benefits. We also focus on topics such as wellbeing, ESG, DE&I, and international health insurance.
Darwin: Digital Benefits Platform
Darwin is a fully scalable, modular digital platform for managing benefits in companies. Thanks to its integration with existing HR and payroll systems, efficiency is improved while administrative requirements are reduced. For employees, the platform offers easier access to online benefits management thanks to the Total Rewards Statement and the Pension Guide, as well as greater transparency.
Optimization of the Obligation Side
International Accounting for Companies
We are a leading provider of actuarial services and valuations according to international accounting standards. We always keep an eye on the latest developments and standards and support you, among other things, with the valuation of pension obligations according to international accounting standards (IAS 19, US GAAP, etc.), the optimization of valuation methods and parameters, and as a global actuary for cross-border consolidations.
Expert Services and Asset-Liability Management (ALM) for Pension Funds
In an environment of changing interest rates and dynamic inflation, pension funds and collective foundations in Switzerland require first-class advice and expert support to ensure the financial stability of their pension plans and meet beneficiaries' expectations regarding potential cost-of-living adjustments. Our solutions for pension funds include, among other things, confirmation of the financial security and legal compliance of regulations, actuarial reports, and the regulatory design of pension funds. In the area of ALM, we support you with, among other things, assessing the long-term financing of the benefit promises and the viability of restructuring, as well as recommendations for investment strategies.
Other Services
We also offer a range of specialized services for pension funds and companies, including consulting and services related to M&A transactions, advice on plan design and de-risking measures, the establishment or development of pension funds, advice on legal issues, governance assessments, and the education and training of foundation boards and managing directors.
Maximizing Investment Success
Investment Advisory
Mercer is one of the world's leading advisors in the field of institutional investments. We offer the full spectrum of advisory services, from asset-liability modeling (ALM) with investment strategy optimization, portfolio construction, and manager selection to investment monitoring and controlling, including cost benchmarking and optimization. Mercer advises on approximately USD 17 trillion in assets worldwide.
Investment Tools and Research
Our investment activities are based on in-depth research: More than 200 dedicated research analysts worldwide analyze the outperformance potential of asset managers in individual investment categories. Our database includes approximately 7,000 managers and around 70,000 strategies, of which approximately 12,000 have a Mercer rating. Historically, the managers rated best by our research have, on average, generated significant excess returns. ESG criteria are also incorporated into our strategy evaluation. For experienced investors, we offer direct access to our research with Mercer Insight®, including comprehensive analysis and reporting functions.
Investment Solutions
Through our investment platform, we offer clients easier and more cost-effective access to the world's top-rated asset managers. This also includes investments in otherwise inaccessible asset classes, such as private markets and hedge funds. In addition to cost optimization and access to a broader universe for individual investments, delegating investment management can offer additional benefits, such as a robust governance framework, professional risk management, and access to our globally leading investment research. Mercer manages approximately USD 420 billion worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). In Switzerland, our investment solutions are offered by Mercer Alternatives AG and Mercer Global Investments Europe Ltd.
