Cresset’s combination with Monticello is the latest reminder that the institutional OCIO and investment consulting landscape is changing quickly. Monticello, long known as a boutique advisor to family offices and endowments, will become part of a large wealth management roll-up. This isn’t the first such deal we’ve seen in the past few years (other notable examples being NEPC/Hightower and Agility/Cerity), and Leita Advisory expects more deals on the horizon. For clients, this kind of change raises an important question: what now?
Leita Advisory helps endowments, foundations, and other institutions select an OCIO or consultant for a decade-plus relationship. Now, more than ever, we have to help clients plan for what happens if that firm changes meaningfully during the life of that relationship.
Clients often have a preference for one type of firm or another. Here’s a timely example from a recent Investment Committee member in response to Leita’s OCIO search survey: “it seems we should engage mostly with mid-smaller sized niche firms.” The reasoning for organizations and Committee members to prefer one type of firm over another varies. Some value employee ownership and the sense that key professionals are meaningfully aligned with client outcomes. Others want assurance of a certain level of client service, avoiding the feeling of being a small and unimportant client within an organization set up to serve larger investors. Still others hope boutiques can provide access to or capacity-constrained opportunities and managers. All of these are valid considerations, but it’s not a given that a boutique has all of these characteristics. And it’s certainly not a given that a boutique loses any or all of these characteristics in an acquisition or merger with a larger company.
That’s why a clearly articulated OCIO selection strategy matters. It gives Committees a roadmap to evaluate an OCIO on its merits, not using a shorthand of “boutique = good, acquisition = bad.” It also helps Committees determine the logical next steps when a big ownership change or firm announcement happens, avoiding knee-jerk reactions. A Committee’s fiduciary responsibility is to assess the change with clarity and prudent process. If the acquisition strengthens the firm’s resources without undermining the reasons the OCIO was selected, the relationship may still serve your organization well. If the deal compromises the qualities that mattered most — alignment, service model, or access — then it may be time to reconsider.
Key Questions for Fiduciaries Post-OCIO-Acquisition
We’ve prepared some key questions that fiduciaries should ask after an OCIO acquisition:
Remember that nothing happens quickly in these mergers and acquisitions. Your Investment Committee has time to prepare and execute a prudent process to evaluate the changes that may occur. Consolidation in the OCIO and consulting space is not slowing down. Fiduciaries can’t control the M&A cycle, but they can control how they respond. The best safeguard is governance: a structured, thoughtful review of whether your investment partner continues to meet the needs and values of your institution.
This governance perspective was also featured in FundFire’s coverage of the Cresset Monticello merger. Read about it here.
Let’s Talk
Strong governance helps fiduciaries respond to change with clarity. If you’d like support in preparing your Investment Committee for OCIO evaluation, let’s talk.
