Mercer adds RFG and Savant Wealth alums to tap growth markets

Mercer Advisors has continued its recruitment drive, appointing Abby Salameh and Chris Walters as managing partners to oversee key growth markets on the east and west coasts.

In a statement, the company said that Salameh will lead the New Jersey and greater Philadelphia markets, while Walters will oversee the San Diego market.

These areas are certainly seeing robust economic growth. Total GDP in New Jersey was $896.41 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, up from $699.28 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2021.

Last year a report from the Center City District said that Philadelphia’s employment had climbed 13.6% since 2020, outpacing the 11.7% average of the nation's 25 most populous counties.

The GDP of San Diego County rose 2.1% to $267 billion in 2024, the San Diego-Union Tribune recently reported, citing data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The GDP number, it noted, is larger than 20 states and even some countries, such as Greece.

Salameh, who began her career as an advisor, most recently served as chief growth officer at RFG Advisory. She has also held national c-level roles at Hightower Advisors and CAIS, according to the statement.

Most recently, Walters was chief advisory officer at Savant Wealth Management. He also founded the consulting practice Lighthouse Wealth Advisory Group.

Mercer has been on something of a recruitment tear, recently appointing LPL Financial and Merrill Lynch alum Lindsay O’Toole to lead the RIA’s investment platform operations.

The move came just a few months after Mercer, which is an active acquirer in the RIA space, appointed LPL alum Kate Shackleton as executive managing director of new partner success.