Equity Risk Partners, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm focused exclusively on the private equity industry, has expanded its Chicago-based team with the addition of Brian Stratton as director - business development.

Stratton will be responsible for building and managing client relationships primarily within the firm's employee benefits practice.

Stratton joins from Mercer, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan, where as a principal in the client development group he provided employee benefit consulting services to private equity firms and Fortune 500 companies. In his decade-long career at Mercer, he held a number of increasing management positions focused on new client acquisition and the management of global accounts.

Stratton has broad experience which includes due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, ongoing management of companies' health and benefit plans, as well as assisting clients with the management of their international benefit programmes.

"As our clients increasingly focus on healthcare and employee benefit-related issues, Equity Risk Partners continues to invest in the areas where our clients have the most need," says Michael Marcon, founder and chief executive. "With Brian's strong foundation of employee benefit consulting, building client relationships, and his proven ability to manage the issues associated with private equity transactions, he will be a significant asset to the firm. The addition of Brian to our team underscores ERP's continuing commitment to serving the needs of our clients and the private equity community."