Vice President Field Finance Programs and Initiatives - Northwestern Mutual

Summary: 

Directing critical consulting, programs and strategic initiatives promoting growth and financial health of Field leaders and advisors, including the Field Office Real Estate (FORE) program, Succession Loan Support Program (SLSP), loan programs available to field offices, and Managing Partner (MP) transitions. Serves as the face of these programs within the Home Office and to the Field.  Sets the strategic direction for these programs and owns their administration.  Responsible for internal governance and approvals related to these programs and initiatives.  Deepens and expands personal and departmental relationships with Field associations and key Field partners necessary to successfully deliver on the goals of these programs and on our other Field Rewards & Finance strategic priorities. Leads key department level planning and efforts to ensure execution on departmental goals.  Recognized in the Field function and the Company as a top subject matter expert on these programs and broader financial matters related to the Field. 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Performs an important role within the Field function balancing stewardship and growth and the financial interests of policyowners, Field leaders and advisors. Responsibilities often involve functional areas across the Company, departments across the Field Function, Field leaders, advisors, Field associations and other Field representatives requiring the development of effective working relationships across varied stakeholder groups.  
• Leads FORE Team and determines the direction of the Field Real Estate program which includes consulting to address the real estate needs of our Field offices and responsibility for all Home Office guaranteed lease transactions.  In partnership with functional leadership, owns lease transaction process, financial analysis models, and best practices for a program that oversees more than $500 million in lease guarantees.  Oversees Field Real Estate consulting team and chairs the Real Estate Sub-Committee utilized to secure corporate approvals for transactions.  Owns all policies related to field leases, subleases to field leaders, advisors, and teams and to the Rent Support Program which provides financial support to field offices in the most expensive markets in the country.    
• Leads MP Transitions team.  Owns the vision and direction of MP transitions (how we run these processes, our desired outcomes, and our alignment with Performance and other cross-department stakeholders).  Influences at the Field Financial Committee to obtain corporate approvals on various MP transition items. Manages and negotiates offers and acceptances of the financial terms of MP opportunities including gaining buy-in from cross-department and Field leaders.  Manages and addresses all unforeseen events.  The team consults to incoming and outgoing MPs guiding them through the process and to Field leaders more broadly on long-term incentives.  The team owns administration of Field leader long-term incentive programs. 
• Owns the SLSP which has provided more than $100 million of financing enabling advisors to transition their businesses within the NM Field and leads the SLSP team.  Determines the strategic direction of the SLSP and applicable rules and policies.  Responsible for evolving the SLSP to increase the program’s impact while balancing financial risk to the policyholders. Chairs the SLSP Exception Committee utilized to provide structure and cross departmental input to exception requests related to the SLSP.  Owns the relationships with our banking partners in the SLSP (currently Live Oak, Bank of America and Wintrust). 
• Leads the Field Loans team accountable for field loan administration, allowance programs, controls related to the Field loan portfolio and payment of special allowances.  Responsible for the policies related to Field loans and for the technology used to administer these loans. 
• Responsible for escalations, conflict resolution, problem solving, and resolving the largest, most complex and most sensitive issues arising under these programs and initiatives. 
• Directs the development of tools, methods, and processes to support these programs and initiatives.  
• Leads team accountable for department level planning, project management and engagement across the Company to ensure execution on departmental goals, including with our partners in digital product and engineering. Key role in managing our relationship with the Field Associations.  
• Directs sophisticated research and financial analysis projects with specific field office, advisor and broader distribution system implications. Proactively identifies and addresses financial and related issues involving field offices, advisors, and the Field as a whole. Anticipates opportunities for research and financial analysis and determines those providing the highest value to pursue. 
• Builds effective working relationships with field leaders (MPs and MDs) and other key leaders within the Company to support business and strategic needs making it possible to educate, influence and gain consensus across a variety of crucial stakeholders. While maintaining these relationships negotiates and communicates on complex financial and related matters and those having Field and cross functional impacts. 
• Presents to corporate committees, senior executives, field committees and field leaders on a variety of financial matters including those related to these programs and initiatives. In both formal presentations and informal settings, communicates on highly complex topics, anticipates potential objection, and influences senior leaders on issues of high importance. Directs the development of reporting and communication tools related to these programs and initiatives. 
• Responsible for full range of people leadership responsibilities including communication, coaching and development, performance management, salary administration and staffing. Responsible for building and maintaining a high functioning team in an environment of rapid and significant change. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance or actuarial required. 

• MBA, CPA, CFA, actuarial certification or similar credential preferred.  

• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible related business experience required, including financial analysis and project management experience. 

• Minimum 8 years of experience working with the Company's field force is preferred. In depth knowledge of field operations (both field offices and advisors) is also preferred, including the Company's field compensation and contracts. 

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with top executives, colleagues, and field leaders to identify and resolve financial issues.  

• Ability to seamlessly manage a variety of different high-priority bodies of work and ensure delivery 

• Ability to understand the economics of finance, lending, real-estate, and MP transitions to help to direct business decisions in an ever-changing ambiguous business environment. 

• Ability to understand and incorporate external best practices to ensure we maintain a competitive edge 

• Strong presentation skills and stellar written and oral communication skills, with particular ability to express complex technical or financial concepts in accessible language. 

• Strong people leadership and coaching skills with a track record of building high performing teams.