#Japan #Tokyo #Mercer #Mizuho Financial #OCIO Services

Mizuho Financial Group and Mercer Forge Strategic Alliance

On May 20, 2025, Mizuho Financial Group, under the leadership of President Masahiro Kihara, announced a significant partnership with Mercer Japan, led by President Yasushi Kusaka, and Mercer Investments, headed by President Tomoya Godo. The collaboration aims to enhance comprehensive asset management services, known as Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services, in Japan.

Importance of OCIO Services

OCIO services encompass both comprehensive and partial outsourcing of investment decision-making, allowing organizations to leverage expertise and resources to optimize their asset management. This strategic partnership will enable Mizuho to collaborate with Mercer, a global leader in OCIO, and utilize its asset management arm, Asset Management One, led by President Kiyoshi Sugihara.

Through this collaboration, Mizuho plans to provide extensive OCIO services to domestic clients such as pension funds and academic institutions. As the market environment continues to evolve rapidly, the demand for professional asset management expertise is more critical than ever. This partnership aims to strengthen existing solutions that Mizuho Trust and Asset Management One have traditionally offered, particularly to corporate pension clients.

Addressing Asset Management Challenges

This strategic alliance endeavors to tackle a range of key asset management challenges, including:

• - Optimization and Enhancement of Asset Management: Providing tailored investment strategies aligned with client objectives.
• - Addressing the Shortage of Specialized Talent: Enhancing access to expertise and resources required for effective investment management.
• - Advanced Risk Management: Implementing robust risk assessment frameworks to protect client assets.
• - Reporting for Accountability: Delivering transparent and comprehensive reporting to meet client needs and regulatory requirements.

In leveraging Mercer’s high-quality manager research capabilities and global investment platform, Asset Management One will also focus on fortifying investment solutions beyond OCIO services, aiming for value creation across the board.

Commitment to Asset Owner Solutions

Mizuho is committed to enhancing its ability to provide solutions to a diverse range of asset owners in Japan. By prioritizing the improvement of its service offerings, Mizuho aims to contribute to the realization of Japan as an asset management powerhouse.

About Mercer

Mercer operates with a global workforce of over 25,000 across 130 countries, providing optimized solutions to clients from various sectors. As a member of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), Mercer brings over 45 years of rich experience and a robust global network in Japan. The firm’s investment management division leverages extensive experience in investment advisory and research to broaden its portfolio solutions, emphasizing open-architecture investment platforms. With advisory assets amounting to $17.51 trillion and managed assets reaching $61.3 billion, Mercer stands out by enhancing investment governance and providing effective access to high-quality managers.

Conclusion

The partnership between Mizuho Financial Group and Mercer represents a strategic move toward strengthening asset management in Japan, ensuring that the challenges of modern investment landscapes are met with innovative solutions. As both firms continue to leverage their strengths, the focus will remain on providing comprehensive OCIO services to a broad range of clients, underscoring Japan’s potential as a leader in asset management services.