While studying at Duke University, Martine Lellis began to feel ill. It quickly progressed to a hospital visit where she was diagnosed with pneumonia in both of her lungs. The condition escalated to a near-death situation, so her doctors decided to induce a coma even before her parents could reach her.

It became so severe that in a coma, she received her last rites, the religious ceremony performed by a Catholic priest for someone who is dying.

Thankfully, she awoke three weeks later to make a full recovery, although the road back to normal functioning was difficult.

WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton talks to Martine Lellisdirector of M&A partner development at Mercer Advisors, on her near-death experience, its profound impact on her life, and how it fueled her passion for making bold and compassionate choices in the financial services industry .

Martine Lellis (second from left) with her parents, George Lellis and Susan Lellis, and her identical twin sister Julie Lellis.

Diana and Martine discuss:

• Martine's near-death experience and its aftermath
• Her last experience meeting the doctor who saved her life at Duka
• Another health scare she had with the long-running COVID
• How overcoming significant health challenges shaped her professional and personal outlook
• The importance of gratitude and resilience in her leadership role
• Her current philanthropic endeavors and commitment to giving back to the community

Martine Lellis (left) and Dr. Joseph A. Govert, the pulmonologist who saved his life.

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About our guest:

Martine is the Director, M&A Partner Development at Mercer Advisors and is responsible for driving the organization's growth and expansion through strategic mergers and acquisitions of other RIAs. Based on her experience of more than two decades in the independent wealth management space, she guides like-minded firms in their transition decisions, including suitability assessment, due diligence, financial analysis, talent mapping and negotiation of agreements. Martine currently also serves as Chief Talent Officer, overseeing Talent Management and HR Operations for the company, with a focus on developing and growing the organization's talent. She has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Mercer Advisors since joining the firm in 2020.

If you have a difficulty and would like to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please contact Diana at (email protected).

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