RVK

What RVK does

RVK, Inc. is a fully independent, employee-owned institutional investment consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded in 1985. The firm provides non-discretionary investment consulting services to approximately 200 institutional clients with over $4 trillion in aggregate assets under advisement, including corporate and public retirement systems, Taft-Hartley funds, nonprofit organizations and endowments, operating funds, and high-net-worth individuals and families. RVK operates as a co-fiduciary with clients, delivering strategic advice on asset allocation, investment manager research and due diligence, investment policy development, performance reporting, OCIO search and evaluation, ESG and sustainable investing, and defined benefit and defined contribution plan solutions. The firm generates 100% of its revenue from direct client consulting fees, has no proprietary asset management products, receives no commissions or soft-dollar payments from managers or vendors, and has grown entirely organically over four decades without mergers or acquisitions.

RVK's technology stack is built around proprietary internal tools rather than off-the-shelf platforms. Core assets include RADAR, a web-based survey tool used to collect and maintain alternative asset class manager information; a SQL-based performance monitoring and reporting system for alternative asset portfolios that captures nearly 100 data points per investment quarterly; a proprietary OCIO Provider Database covering more than 70 OCIO providers; and actuarial and Monte Carlo simulation modeling used in asset/liability studies. The firm distributes research through publications such as the Capital Markets Review, RVK Insights, the semi-annual Public Fund Universe Analysis covering 60+ public pension and permanent funds, and the OCIO Insights series, supported by a podcast channel and active LinkedIn presence.

The firm operates nationally from offices in Portland (headquarters), Boise, Chicago, and New York, with a new Denver presence established in 2025 via a senior consultant hire. Revenue is generated through negotiated, multi-year fee-for-service engagements with institutional clients, including inclusive fees for OCIO Search projects and ongoing retainer fees for monitoring and reporting. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored to client scope, assets under advisement, and complexity. The firm was ranked 5th largest consultant worldwide by Pensions & Investments' 2023 Special Report and has received the Coalition Greenwich Quality Leader award in the U.S. large consultants category for six consecutive years.

Name

RVK

Legal name

RVK, Inc.

Website

http://rvkinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RVK is a fully independent, employee-owned institutional investment consulting firm advising approximately 200 clients with $4+ trillion in assets under advisement, providing non-discretionary investment consulting to corporate and public retirement systems, Taft-Hartley funds, nonprofits, operating funds, and high-net-worth clients across four U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Investment Consulting

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Investment consulting services
• Institutional asset allocation
• Fiduciary advisory services
• OCIO search evaluation
• Investment manager research

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Investment Consulting Fees: RVK generates 100% of its revenues from direct consulting fees paid by its institutional clients in return for investment consulting services rendered. The firm is a non-discretionary advisor and does not receive commissions, fees, or rebates from investment managers, OCIO providers, or other operational vendors. RVK charges a single inclusive fee for OCIO Search services and ongoing fees for Monitoring and Reporting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RVK is a non-discretionary institutional investment consulting firm that provides strategic investment advice, asset allocation studies, investment manager research and due diligence, performance reporting, fiduciary advisory, OCIO search and evaluation, and ESG services. The firm serves as co-fiduciary to approximately 200 institutional clients, including corporate and public retirement systems, Taft-Hartley funds, nonprofit endowments/foundations, operating funds, and high-net-worth individuals/families. RVK generates 100% of revenue from direct client-paid consulting fees and does not manage proprietary investment products.

Product overview

RVK provides investment consulting services organized as a comprehensive suite of offerings rather than a unified software platform. The core service portfolio includes strategic consulting capabilities such as Asset Allocation, Investment Manager Research, Performance Reporting, and ESG Services, alongside specialized practices like the Defined Benefit Solutions Group, OCIO Search Services, and the Defined Contribution Solutions Group. RVK also offers a proprietary Manager Research Survey Tool called RADAR for alternative asset class data collection. These services are delivered through a team-centered approach by consulting professionals with expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OCIO Evaluation and Monitoring Practice: RVK's Outsourced CIO search, evaluation, and monitoring services practice established in 2012, having conducted over 65 search, evaluation, and monitoring projects.
• Sustainable Investment Solutions Group (SISG)
• Defined Benefit Solutions Group (DBSG)
• Defined Contribution Solutions Group
• RADAR

Products and services

• Asset Allocation Studies
• Asset/Liability Study
• Investment Manager Research and Due Diligence
• OCIO Search, Evaluation, and Monitoring Services
• Defined Benefit Solutions Group (DBSG)
• Defined Contribution Solutions Group
• ESG / Sustainable Investment Solutions Group (SISG)
• Investment Policy Development
• Performance Reporting
• Alternative Assets Reporting
• High Net Worth Investment Consulting
• Custody Evaluation
• Investment Program Review
• Manager Structure Analysis
• Directed Consulting Services
• Client Education and Investment Perspectives
• Public Fund Universe Analysis
• RADAR Manager Research Survey Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• $4+ trillion in assets under advisement across approximately 200 institutional clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercer: Mercer is one of the largest global investment consulting firms, offering asset allocation, manager research, and OCIO services to institutional clients including pensions, endowments, and foundations. It directly competes with RVK in the U.S. institutional consulting market and shares several employees' prior affiliations (Tony Johnson and Dale Connors both worked at Mercer before joining RVK).
• Aon (Hewitt Investment Consulting): Aon plc's investment consulting practice (built around the Hewitt EnnisKnupp acquisition) provides institutional investment advisory, OCIO, and actuarial services to corporate and public pensions. It is one of the largest competitors in the U.S. investment consulting market and a natural benchmark for RVK's mid-large institutional segment.
• Wilshire Associates: Wilshire is a global investment consulting and technology firm serving corporate plans, public funds, endowments, and foundations with asset allocation, manager research, and OCIO services. Co-listed with RVK among leading infrastructure allocators, Wilshire is one of the closest direct comparables in scale and client mix.
• Meketa Investment Group: Meketa is an employee-owned institutional investment consulting firm serving public funds, corporate plans, endowments, and foundations. Its independent, conflict-free model and mid-large institutional focus closely mirror RVK's positioning, making it one of the most directly comparable peers.
• Marquette Associates: Marquette is an independent, employee-owned investment consulting firm serving public pensions, corporate plans, endowments, and foundations. Like RVK, it emphasizes a non-discretionary, conflict-free model and serves a comparable institutional client base, placing it in the same competitive tier.
• Cambridge Associates: Cambridge Associates provides investment consulting and OCIO services primarily to endowments, foundations, and private clients, with deep expertise in private markets. RVK competes with Cambridge for nonprofit and endowment mandates and is frequently benchmarked alongside it in industry rankings.
• Verus: Verus is an independent investment consulting firm serving institutional clients including public funds, corporate plans, and foundations. Its mid-sized, conflict-free structure and Pacific Northwest roots make it a near-direct comparable to RVK in scale and service mix.
• CAPTRUST: CAPTRUST is a large independent investment advisory firm providing retirement plan consulting and wealth management, including defined contribution advisory. It competes with RVK in the institutional/retirement plan consulting segment, particularly in the corporate plan space.
• NEPC: NEPC is an independent, employee-owned investment consulting firm advising public pensions, corporate plans, endowments, and healthcare organizations. Its structure, client mix, and consulting-first model closely parallel RVK's positioning.
• Aksia: Aksia is an independent investment consulting firm specializing in alternative investments for institutional investors, including pensions and endowments. RVK's alternative markets practice (under Steve Hahn) competes directly with Aksia for alternative-asset manager research and OCIO mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rvk
• Facebookfacebook.com/rvkuhns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RVK