Mercer and Putnam Announce New Service Agreement for Taft-Hartley Market

BOSTON & NORWOOD, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Mercer and Putnam Investments announced today that they have entered into an
agreement effective July 1, 2009, whereby Mercer will assume responsibility for
all plan-related services for existing Taft-Hartley clients previously serviced
jointly by the two companies. Putnam will focus exclusively on the investment
management component of these plans, as it continues to grow its full-service
corporate retirement business. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In addition to continuing to provide all recordkeeping and administration
services- including call center support and technology solutions for these
clients- under the new agreement, Mercer will assume responsibility for overall
relationship management and sales support, as well as member communication and
education programs. Putnam will continue to make the full breadth of its
investment products and expertise available to existing and prospective
Taft-Hartley clients. Going forward, Mercer will pursue new Taft-Hartley
administration opportunities under the Mercer brand.

As part of the agreement, Mercer will add current Putnam communication
capabilities and relationship management to its staff. Bringing more than 40
years of collective Taft-Hartley experience, Patrick White, John Hume, and
Arthur Georgantas, will join Mercer from Putnam as Relationship Managers. Also
joining Mercer`s Taft-Hartley Relationship Management team is Ken Sullivan. Mr.
Sullivan brings 11 years of defined contribution experience to his position,
including nine years with Putnam Investments.

"We are very pleased to expand Mercer`s relationship with the Taft-Hartley
market, its consultants, members, trustees, and fund offices," said Michael
Sternklar, COO and Head of the Americas for Mercer`s outsourcing business.
"Mercer brings many years of experience in providing Taft-Hartley plan
administration services in conjunction with Putnam. Combining the relationship
management team from Putnam with our well-known, world-class service
capabilities is a true springboard to growing the business as an integral part
of Mercer`s strategic plan for our overall benefits outsourcing business."

Edmund F. Murphy III, Putnam Investments` Head of Defined Contribution, said,
"Putnam remains committed to working with Taft-Hartley clients using its core
investment management capability, as we seek deeper traction in the corporate
retirement market through our broader, full-service offering. We are confident
that our union clients and their members will continue to be well served by this
enhanced partnership with Mercer."

Mercer provides defined contribution administration services to 61 union groups,
representing 309,000 members with over $7.8 billion in assets. Putnam has $3.5
billion of Taft-Hartley retirement assets under management as of May 31, 2009.

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 benefits 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.

Securities offered through Mercer Securities, a division of MMC Securities
Corp., a U.S. registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Mercer HR
Services, LLC and MMC Securities Corp. are divisions of and owned by Marsh &
McLennan Companies, Inc.

About Putnam

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a leading global money management firm
with over 70 years of investment experience. At the end of May 2009, Putnam had
$102 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London,
Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney. For more information, go to www.putnam.com.

Mercer:
Bruce Lee, +1 212-345-0553
bruce.lee@mercer.com
or
Putnam:
Jon Goldstein, +617-760-1127
jon_goldstein@putnam.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009