Mercer Advisors continues to strengthen its presence in the wealth management space with strategic expansion moves. This week, the Denver-based registered investment advisor (RIA) announced both an acquisition and a key leadership hire aimed at accelerating growth.
On Wednesday, Mercer revealed its acquisition of Financial Partners Group, an RIA managing $660 million in assets, based in Gallatin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. The deal pushes Mercer’s total assets under management in the Nashville area to approximately $1.6 billion, reinforcing its position in a key growth market.
A day later, Mercer announced the appointment of Alisa Maute, a former LPL Financial executive, as head of client development. She will lead a rapidly growing team of over 100 professionals dedicated to driving organic growth by expanding Mercer’s client base. This team has doubled in size over the past two years as part of Mercer’s broader strategy to enhance its client acquisition efforts.
Rather than requiring advisors to source new clients independently, Mercer’s client development team identifies and connects prospective clients with the advisor best suited to address their financial complexities. “Client-development professionals work to identify prospective clients and thoughtfully pair them with an advisor best suited to solve for the complexities of their financial lives,” the firm states.
Maute previously served as executive vice president at LPL, overseeing investment product management and retirement solutions. Earlier in her career, she led advisor growth solutions for the firm. She departed LPL in October and officially joined Mercer this month. With her addition, Mercer now reports that women hold 48% of its leadership positions.
Reflecting on her decision to join Mercer, Maute highlights the firm’s high-touch, family-office-style service model as a key differentiator. “Being able to deliver this level of family-office services for clients across the country, including for some of the most sophisticated and demanding clients, is distinct and compelling,” she says.
The firm’s latest acquisition aligns with that philosophy. Financial Partners Group caters to a broad spectrum of clients, from mass-affluent investors to ultra-high-net-worth families, and also services more than a dozen retirement plans, according to its most recent Form ADV filing. High-net-worth clients represent the majority of the firm’s assets under management.
With this acquisition, Mercer adds two advisors and four support staff to its growing team. The deal, which closed on January 31, marks Mercer’s first completed transaction of the year. However, it is unlikely to be the last. A company representative confirms that Mercer has more than 40 deals in various stages of completion, underscoring its aggressive expansion strategy.
Mercer was not the only major RIA making moves this week. Wealth Enhancement Group, headquartered in Minneapolis, announced the acquisition of a six-advisor team and five support staff managing $618 million in client assets at Capstone Wealth Advisors in Salem, Oregon.
A Wealth Enhancement spokesperson confirmed that one advisor opted not to transition and will continue operating under the Capstone Wealth Advisors brand. The firm did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Mercer’s latest initiatives highlight its commitment to scaling through both organic growth and acquisitions, reinforcing its position as a leading player in the independent wealth management space.
