Northwestern Mutual aims to make good on its CEO’s pledge that the firm “will not waver” in its efforts to advance women in the executive ranks. After five women left their executive positions earlier this year, the insurer promoted two others to top roles at its broker-dealer.
The firm stands out as one of
CEO John Schlifske acknowledged their exits were “a step backward” in an email to employees at the time, the Milwaukee Business Journal
As president of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, Schoenborn will also manage regulatory strategy and the board after taking over from Christian Mitchell. The firm appointed Lori Brissette, vice president of risk and investment client services, to Schoenborn’s prior role.
Mitchell had been serving in two roles since
"Evamarie and Lori have the leadership capabilities, passion, and industry expertise that will carry our long-term vision for Northwestern Mutual's investment products and services forward and continue our sustained growth," Mitchell said in a statement.
Schoenborn and Brissette — who is now president of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, its FINRA-registered BD — only joined the firm last year. Schoenborn had spent 20 years at Ameriprise, while Brissette left an executive post in the protection experience unit at USAA.
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The promotions also come after the departures by von Tobel and Emilia Sherifova, the former chief technology officer of Northwestern and LearnVest. Northwestern acquired the digital investing service in 2015 for $250 million, but it
Sherifova left the insurer
“We’ve found success engaging women through content about real women who are reaching their financial goals and key life moments such as planning a family vacation, preparing for maternity leave or starting a business,” Gokhale
On the other hand, the firm also lost Chief Transformation Officer Beth Rodenhuis, Head of Public Investments Leslie Barbi and Vice President of Communications Courtney Reynolds in addition to Sherifova in the May exits. Their departures were not related to one another, the firm says.
“While we have made progress in advancing women at all levels, there is more to do,” Schlifske said in the company email,
He added that the departures occurred as a result of “active competition for talent across companies.”