Mercer to launch professional development training for planners and trustees

Mercer is planning to launch a series of professional development (PD) workshops for its financial planners and trustees, with the aim of expanding its reach to premium wealth management firms and private banks in Asia.

Head of wealth management Rashmi Hansi Mehrotra said the financial crisis had highlighted the need for trustees and planners to seek an unbiased, comprehensive approach to training.

“Current financial markets have surfaced the need for both trustees and advisers to get up to speed with what they didn’t know before the crisis hit and be better prepared to respond to clients who are now asking difficult questions,” she said.

“This training is designed to help trustees as well as researchers, senior advisers and family offices better manage the portfolios of high-net-worth investors and will give them the confidence to become better communicators with their clients.”

The PD training is divided into two streams of applied and master classes for new and senior financial planners respectively. The classes will consist of one-day workshops on equities, debt, real estate, hedge funds, alternative assets and asset allocations, and the senior classes will also encourage discussions around global investment trends and issues.

The PD days will be launched later this month.