Mercer appoints Sylvia Diez and Brett Gerard to senior leadership roles

Mercer, a global HR and wealth management consultancy, has appointed Sylvia Diez as Central market leader for the wealth business line and Brett Gerard as Carolinas office leader.

Based in Pittsburgh, Diez will provide strategic direction to Mercer’s wealth business in the US Central region, as well as drive revenue growth and brand awareness. 

She brings more than 20 years of experience in institutional investment and retirement plans. Diez joins Mercer from PNC, where she spent the last 20 years and most recently served as EVP and regional managing director of institutional asset management. Before that she was sales director for the Western region within the bank’s wealth management business.

Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at Citi, where she was latterly marketing director for the Southeast US within CitiStreet, the bank’s former retirement and benefits business that was sold to ING in 2008.

Diez holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Robert Morris University.

“Sylvia’s leadership experience and proven track record in the investments and retirement business will help us provide exceptional service and solutions to our clients and fuel Mercer’s continued growth across the Central Market,” said Greg Martens, senior partner and Central market CEO at Mercer.

Based in Charlotte, Gerard will lead Mercer’s offices in the Carolinas, with oversight for go-to-market strategies, revenue growth, and local client relationships across the firm’s health, wealth, and career business lines.

Gerard has 25 years of experience in workforce, benefits, and retirement strategies. He joined Mercer’s Houston office in 2013 as a partner and senior client manager, afterwards moving to Washington, DC to oversee the consulting firm’s largest accounts in the Capital region.

Before Mercer, Gerard spent six years at ADP, where he led the national accounts talent acquisition services business. He was also previously a recruitment outsourcing business leader at Korn Ferry, a managing consultant at Aon, and a new business sales manager at Aetna.

Gerard has a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from George Mason University.

“As a top performing and passionate leader, Gerard will bring his drive and energy to build on the current and thriving team in North and South Carolina,” said Paige Clay, senior partner and market leader for the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. “Brett’s leadership experience and proven track record will help us provide exceptional service and solutions to our clients and fuel Mercer’s continued growth across the Carolinas.”

The New York-headquartered firm earlier this year named Melissa Swift as leader of transformation services in the US and Canada.