Mercer Advisors has named Kate Shackleton as executive managing director of new partner success, a newly created role designed to ensure the smooth integration and growth of the firm’s rapidly expanding roster of acquired RIAs.
The move comes as Mercer Advisors, which manages $86 billion in client assets, continues to rank among the most active acquirers in the RIA space, having added nearly a dozen partner firms so far this year.
Shackleton, who brings more than two decades of experience in wealth and investment management, will lead the integration of newly acquired firms and oversee Mercer Advisors’ longstanding partner integration team. Her mandate is to help acquired RIAs realize long-term value for their clients and teams, reinforcing Mercer’s strategy of supporting growth-minded advisors seeking to deliver comprehensive family office services.
“Kate brings a remarkable track record of driving strategic growth and fostering innovation in wealth management,” Daniel Gourvitch, president of Mercer Advisors, said in a statement. He added that the firm views each new partnership as “a promise to deliver elevated outcomes to our new clients and colleagues, and to the principals of the firms joining us.”
Shackleton joins Mercer Advisors after holding senior roles at LPL Financial, where she worked closely with the firm’s most complex clients and their advisors, and prior stints at Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Private Bank. She said in the statement that Mercer Advisors’ focus on client experience and fiduciary standards “aligns perfectly with my values and my own financial journey.”
Her appointment is the latest in a series of strategic hires for Mercer Advisors. Earlier this year, the firm has also named Alisa Maute as head of client development and Ted Motheral as principal, M&A partner development. More recently, two new vice presidents have joined the M&A partner development team: Carrie Ohm, who previously worked in corporate development at OneDigital, and Alex Moore, a sell-side mergers and acquisitions specialist from MarshBerry.
Mercer Advisors’ expansion comes at a time when M&A activity in the RIA sector is setting new records. According to Echelon Partners' latest deal reporting, the third quarter saw 125 transactions, matching the highest quarterly total ever and representing a 44.4% increase compared with the same period last year.
Mercer Advisors was among the top five acquirers by deal volume, with 10 announced transactions so far this year. The firm's Tuesday statement hints at more to come, as it indicates "more than a dozen firms [are] joining in 2025."
This year's surge in dealmaking is being driven by strategic acquirers, which Echelon says accounted for more than 90% of all transactions in the latest quarter. Private equity-backed firms now play a central role in the RIA consolidation wave, with the majority of strategic acquirers supported by financial sponsors.
As the pace of acquisitions accelerates, seamless integration has become a critical differentiator for consolidators. A recent Cerulli Associates report notes that RIAs joining large platforms are increasingly focused on the level of operational support and resources available to them, particularly as centralization and standardization become more common. The report found that 74% of advisors considering an affiliation with a consolidator cited succession planning or exit strategy as a key factor, and more than half expressed concerns about loss of autonomy and independence.
Cerulli’s research also highlights the growing importance of value-added support from private equity investors, who are expected to help portfolio RIAs with subsequent M&A, management guidance, and brand development. As competition intensifies, consolidators are under pressure to offer a broader suite of services, including technology, compliance, and business development support, to help acquired firms achieve both organic and inorganic growth.
Mercer Advisors, which is majority owned by Oak Hill Capital, Genstar Capital, and Altas Partners, operates more than 100 locations nationwide and employs over 1,370 people.
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