Thursday, April 25, 2019 Stamford, CT USA — A wave of mergers and acquisitions among investment consultants in the U.S. points to a bifurcated business in which many relationships and client assets flow to the biggest firms with resources and scale, while smaller consultants move to specialization and higher-touch service offerings.

In this highly competitive market, the six consultants named 2018 Greenwich Quality Leaders in Overall U.S. Investment Consulting have found ways to expand their service offerings and increase the value they provide to their clients. Meketa Investment Group, RVK and Segal Marco Advisors are named 2018 Greenwich Quality Leaders in the Large Consultants category and Angeles Investment Advisors, Asset Consulting Group and Graystone Consulting are named in the Midsize Consultants category.

All of this year’s winners have found ways to keep their firms relevant in the midst of an evolving industry by expanding the value they offer to clients. Some accomplished that goal by acquiring other firms. Others did so by focusing on their traditional strengths, sticking to their knitting and remaining hyper-focused on enhancing the research, counsel and solutions that sets them apart from rivals.

Regardless of size, consultants are feeling pressure to up their games. “Whether you enhance your capabilities by buying another firm or choose to develop the right resources in-house, investment consultants are being pushed to bring new skills and offerings to the table,” says Greenwich Associates Principal Sara Sikes. “The days when consultants could maintain the status quo and rely solely on long-standing relationships are long past. Remaining relevant and having a forward-looking approach is critical to continued success.”

Click here for the full Greenwich Report and list of 2018 Greenwich Quality Leaders in Overall U.S. Investment Consulting.