Mercer Advisors

Office address: 1200 17th St., Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202
Website: merceradvisors.com
Year established: 1985
Company type: financial services
Employees: 1,530+ (2025)
Expertise: financial planning, investment management, tax planning and preparation, estate planning, insurance solutions, trustee services, retirement planning, family office services, private markets investing, wealth management
Parent company: Oak Hill Capital, Altas Partners, and Genstar Capital (majority owners)
Key people: Dave Welling (CEO), Daniel Gourvitch (president), Christine Cataldo (chief technology and digital officer), Donald Calcagni (chief investment officer), Elizabeth Hioe (chief people officer), Loren Pierson (COO), Kim Lorenz (chief compliance officer)
Financing status: private equity-backed

Mercer Advisors is a registered investment advisor (RIA) based in Denver that offers wealth management services nationwide. The company brings together financial planning, tax, estate, insurance, and investment services through a single team. It oversees $95 billion in assets and operates more than 110 offices across the US as of November 2025.

History of Mercer Advisors

Mercer Advisors started in 1985 in Santa Barbara when Kendrick Mercer, a tax and estate attorney, founded the firm with a clear mission. He wanted families to achieve financial freedom and work because they chose to, not because they had to. The company first served self-employed dentists before widening its client base.

Early growth and national expansion

The firm gained traction quickly in its first few years. By 1989, Mercer Advisory was managing $245 million in client assets. The company rebranded to Mercer Global Advisors to match its rapid rise. By 2007, it had grown to over 3,300 clients and nearly $4 billion in AUM.

Private equity backing drives M&A strategy

A turning point came in 2015 when private equity firm Genstar Capital took a majority stake. Two years later, Mercer Advisors made mergers and acquisitions its primary growth strategy.

Oak Hill Capital joined the ownership group in 2019, with Altas Partners coming in after. As of 2024, the company had completed 96 acquisitions across the country.

Mercer Advisors' expansion in 2025 and beyond

The acquisition pace has not slowed down since. In 2025, Mercer Advisors acquired Beach Freeman Lim & Cleland, a Southern California tax firm with 20 professionals. This deal marked its first acquisition of a tax-focused RIA.

The company kicked off 2026 by adding Long Run Wealth Advisors, a Lake Placid firm managing about $640 million. This deal expanded its footprint across upstate New York and Vermont. Today, Mercer Advisors stands as one of the largest RIAs in the US.

Mercer Advisors' products and services

Mercer Advisors brings together financial planning, tax, estate, insurance, and investment services under one team:

Core solutions

• financial planning: personalized strategies for long-term financial goals
• investment management: institutional-grade portfolios tailored to each client
• tax planning and preparation: in-house tax services and yearly filings
• estate planning: strategies for wealth transfer and legacy goals
• insurance solutions: coverage options for risk management needs
• trustee services: corporate trustee and trust administration support

Specialty solutions

• retirement: planning for income and lifestyle after work
• family and health: guidance for family financial and health matters
• women and wealth: services designed for women's financial needs
• professions: planning for specific career paths and industries
• work and business: support for business owners and executives
• unique assets: management for non-traditional holdings and investments

Mercer Advisors also offers Aspen Investing, a proprietary platform that delivers institutional-grade portfolios to clients. Aspen Partners gives families access to private market investments typically reserved for large institutions.

Culture and corporate values

According to the firm, its mission is helping clients not worry about money. Employees become part of a team working toward what Mercer Advisors calls "Economic Freedom".

The company states that its commitment to service applies to employees as well as clients. Its total rewards package includes:

• insurance: company-paid life, AD&D, and short and long-term disability coverage
• health coverage: three medical plans, two dental options, vision, and HSA contributions
• time off: 14 paid holidays, PTO, sick days, and a full Thanksgiving week
• parental and family leave: six weeks paid parental leave, maternity benefits, and family medical leave
• retirement: 401(k) plan with traditional and Roth options plus per-pay-period match
• additional perks: pet insurance, adoption assistance, concierge services, and employee assistance

The firm also reports that 50 percent of its workforce and client-facing staff are women. Mercer Advisors offers flexible work arrangements to hire talent from across the country.

About CEO Dave Welling and key people

Dave Welling serves as Mercer Advisors' CEO and brings more than 25 years of experience in wealth management. He previously worked as co-GM at SS&C Advent and GM at Black Diamond Performance Reporting. Welling earned his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from Middlebury College.

Several other leaders help guide the company's strategy and day-to-day operations:

• Daniel Gourvitch serves as president, overseeing advisory offerings and platform development
• Christine Cataldo is chief technology and digital officer, leading a 48-person tech team
• Donald Calcagni is chief investment officer, chairing the investment committee and setting portfolio strategy
• Elizabeth Hioe is chief people officer, aligning talent strategy with Mercer Advisors' goals
• Loren Pierson works as COO, managing operations, technology, and M&A integration
• Kim Lorenz is chief compliance officer, running the firm's enterprise compliance program

Mercer Advisors operates as an independent fiduciary with no ties to banks, broker-dealers, or insurers. As a result, CEO Welling has stated that acting in clients' best interests is part of the firm's DNA.

The future at Mercer Advisors

Mercer has surpassed 100 acquisitions since 2016 and currently has one of its largest deal pipelines. Its principal M&A partner development, Martine Lellis, sat down with InvestmentNews and said that Mercer Advisors uses an integrator model to fully merge acquired practices into its platform. With wealth management M&A continuing at record pace, it is well-positioned to keep growing its national reach.

Apart from acquisitions, the company is seeing rapid growth in its ultra-high-net-worth division. Mercer Advisors reports that Regis Group, its UHNW arm, now manages $20 billion and grows over 20 percent each year. This includes the recent addition of Singer Burke, an LA tax firm that expands the company's reach into Hollywood.

The latest Mercer Advisors news