Mercer Advisors and Alaris Acquisitions Appoint New M&A Leaders
Mercer Advisors and Alaris Acquisitions have announced significant leadership appointments to strengthen their mergers and acquisitions capabilities. Mercer Advisors named Jimmy Zhao, a former McKinsey & Company partner, as its new chief corporate development officer. In this newly created role, Zhao will oversee M&A partner development and report directly to CEO Dave Welling, leveraging his experience in over 50 transactions to drive the firm's expansion. Simultaneously, Alaris Acquisitions appointed Tony Leonard as managing director of business development. Leonard, bringing nearly three decades of wealth advisory experience, will lead outreach to registered investment advisory firms and support transaction origination. These moves occur amidst heightened activity in the wealth management sector, with Mercer closing 18 partnerships in 2025 and Alaris completing nearly 60 transactions in the past year. Additionally, JPMorgan, KKR, Ares, and Cliffwater have announced senior appointments across their wealth and alternatives business lines, signaling a broader trend of strategic hiring and consolidation within the financial services industry.
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Mercer Advisors and Alaris Acquisitions Appoint New M&A Leaders
Mercer Advisors and Alaris Acquisitions have announced significant leadership appointments to strengthen their mergers and acquisitions capabilities. Mercer Advisors named Jimmy Zhao, a former McKinsey & Company partner, as its new chief corporate development officer. In this newly created role, Zhao will oversee M&A partner development and report directly to CEO Dave Welling, leveraging his experience in over 50 transactions to drive the firm's expansion. Simultaneously, Alaris Acquisitions appointed Tony Leonard as managing director of business development. Leonard, bringing nearly three decades of wealth advisory experience, will lead outreach to registered investment advisory firms and support transaction origination. These moves occur amidst heightened activity in the wealth management sector, with Mercer closing 18 partnerships in 2025 and Alaris completing nearly 60 transactions in the past year. Additionally, JPMorgan, KKR, Ares, and Cliffwater have announced senior appointments across their wealth and alternatives business lines, signaling a broader trend of strategic hiring and consolidation within the financial services industry.
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