The global investment advisory and alternatives platform has appointed a chief investment officer.

Mercury Capital Advisors, the global investment advisory and alternative investments platform, has appointed Nick Savasta as chief investment officer and partner.

In this role, Savasta reports to Michael Ricciardi, chief executive and managing partner, and will lead the firm in advising clients across a range of alternative asset classes including direct private equity investments and allocations to fund managers.

Prior to this, Savasta worked at Michael Dell’s MSD Partners, where he was MD and co-head of MSD’s strategic investments group. Previously, he was a senior merchant banker with Allen & Company. He also worked as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in the corporate finance division. Savasta also serves on the executive board of the MIT Sloan School of Management and was previously a guest lecturer at Yale University, where he taught the school’s Introduction to Alternative Investments seminar.

The appointment follows others at Mercury, including Reymundo Calcano, as chief financial officer from Brevan Howard in April, and Donal Mastrangelo, as partner and head of US iFunds Distribution from Guggenheim Partners last October. Mercury has also increased its on-the-ground presence in the US, opening offices in Palm Beach, Florida and Seattle, Washington. In February, the firm expanded into Asia, with the opening of a New Delhi, India office.