Mercer Advisors names principal to lead M&A integration

Mercer Advisors is redoubling its efforts at inorganic growth with a newly appointed leadership role its mergers and acquisitions team.

The national RIA announced that it has elevated Martine Lellis, previously the company's chief talent officer since 2020, into the newly created position of principal of M&A partner development.

The appointment aligns with Mercer Advisors' ongoing strategy to bolster its M&A efforts, which have gained significant momentum since starting in 2016.

“Martine’s deep understanding of our client and advisor experience, as well as her years of building, developing, and growing our talent, make her an invaluable asset in identifying and integrating like-minded firms into our organization,” Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors, said in a statement.

Dave Barton, who transitioned from CEO to vice chairman in 2017 to focus on M&A, leads the team that Lellis is joining.

The company has made over 85 acquisitions over the past eight years, emphasizing an "integrate not aggregate" approach. Most recently, the firm bolstered its UHNW presence in the Pacific Northwest as it snapped up MDK Wealth Management, a $2.5 billion mega-practice in Seattle.

“We recognize that owners of RIA firms have many options and care deeply about the impact on their clients, employees, and themselves,” Welling said.

“Our C-Suite approach to the leadership on our M&A Partner Development team is grounded in connecting the principals of firms considering selling their businesses with executives who have built, run, and guided the evolution of an RIA themselves,” he said.

With nearly two decades of experience in the independent wealth management sector, Lellis began her career at Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney in 2002, eventually becoming the chief operating officer.

In her new role, Lellis is expected to enhance Mercer Advisors' ability to identify and integrate like-minded firms into its organization.

“M&A is one of the indispensable ways that we build the organization’s talent, experience, and capabilities,” Lellis said, underscoring the importance of talent mapping, career pathing, and compensation in deal decision-making and ensuring a successful integration.

“I couldn’t be more excited about representing Mercer Advisors in the industry and working with other RIA owners to discover the best option for themselves, their employees, and their clients,” she said. Mercer Advisors is now conducting a national search to find a new chief talent officer to replace Lellis in her former role.