2008-11-12 00:14:02 -

- Mercer Charles G. Salmans, 212-345-4512 charles.salmans@mercer.com Mercer has launched a new section of its corporate website, "Leading through unprecedented times" - www.mercer.com/unprecedentedtimes - which provides the latest insights and practical solutions to the challenges posed by the economic environment in these unprecedented times. The website, which is updated frequently, brings together Mercer's insights and advice to help companies navigate through the challenges of the current business environment.

"In times of economic distress, it becomes even more critical for organizations to optimize their workforces, use the right engagement and development strategies, review investment strategy and make the best human capital investments," said M. Michele Burns, Mercer's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Mercer stands ready to help organizations around the

world successfully manage these serious challenges. Through our dedicated website, Mercer consultants share their insights and advice for dealing with some of the most urgent human capital, organizational and investment issues raised by the current financial crisis."

The site features podcasts with Mercer consultants providing expertise on a range of today's most urgent HR-related issues, including the implications for employer-provided health benefits, executive remuneration, volatility and pension funding, and employee communications strategies in tough times.

Current Mercer Perspectives (available on the website) address global health and benefits issues, retirement issues, as well as the broader human capital challenges of operating in a difficult competitive environment.

For organizations interested in investment consulting-related issues, a Mercer paper on the financial market turmoil addresses the shift in attention of institutional investors to operational risk, focusing specifically on cash management, collateral management and counterparty risk. Other papers address securities lending, the crisis for money market funds in the wake of the Lehman Brothers failure, the unwinding of infrastructure funds, and the implications for hedge funds of the financial crisis. A Mercer Investment Consulting Perspective observes that some pension plans face increasing risk of corporate insolvency and all are struggling with volatile funding levels.

The Mercer portal, Leading through unprecedented times, integrates much of Mercer's expertise in a single integrated and easily navigated website as companies of all sizes deal with the challenges presented by a global economic slowdown. www.mercer.com/unprecedentedtimes

About Mercer

Mercer is a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues, designing and helping manage health, retirement and other benefits. It is a leader in benefit outsourcing. Mercer's investment services include investment consulting and multi-manager investment management. Mercer's 18,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.mercer.com.


¶ -- Rising costs and profit pressures impact health care benefits

¶ -- Market volatility creates pension funding and 401k challenges

¶ -- Executive compensation faces special scrutiny

¶ -- Crisis-driven M&A requires "post-deal" workforce planning

¶ -- Employee engagement and communication are critical in tough
times

¶ -- Keeping and motivating top talent is essential to corporate
survival