When Jennifer Brase looks back on her career at Northwestern Mutual, she keeps coming back to gratitude.
“I’ve been here 36 years,” she said. “I joined six months out of college. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Today, Brase serves as managing partner for Northwestern Mutual’s operations in Nebraska, overseeing a team of 75 financial representatives in her Omaha office.
But as she recalls, her journey began much more modestly.
“I would say I was a glorified office manager in our Lincoln office,” she said. “I kept raising my hand for opportunities, and I've held almost every leadership contract you could have.”
Brase’s story at Northwestern Mutual is not uncommon. Longevity, she said, is at the heart of the Fortune 500 company, which was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Milwaukee. The company provides its clients financial planning as well as life, long-term care and disability insurance, and helps the clients’ families navigate retirement, investment, estate and succession planning.
Many of Brase’s colleagues have been at the company for decades and even work alongside their family members. Her own two children work there.
“The culture here is amazing,” she said. “It’s very much focused on personal growth, achievement and respecting others. We care about our people. I feel like the company has poured into me and my growth and development over my entire career.”
The financial services industry is at a crossroads. Reports indicate that by 2034, there will be a shortfall of approximately 100,000 advisers, while demand mounts for qualified, credible person-to-person financial advice. As baby boomers and the Silent Generation pass away, wealth will pass into new hands, often with young people who may have limited financial literacy.
This is why Northwestern Mutual is actively seeking more people to join its team.
“Being a financial representative allows you to build your own business, be your own boss and be part of a culture that gives back to the community and helps people plan for their financial future,” Brase said.
The work itself is both personal and autonomous. In her more than three decades there, she never missed any of her children’s events.
For prospective representatives, one of the company’s biggest differentiators is its commitment to training and development.
“We’re one of the few remaining companies that actively attracts new representatives and trains and supports them,” Brase said of the training program, which runs for five years and equips employees with all the skills they need to be a financial representative. “We pay for their licensing. We help them identify what their market’s going to be and how to continue to grow it. You’re coming to an organization where you’re starting your own business, but you’re totally supported by this infrastructure to help you launch your practice. It’s for people starting their careers, or those who might feel stuck and are looking for a change.”
And when Brase meets with potential hires, she looks for the same characteristics across the board: someone who is a good listener and can create trust with clients. Then she likes to share how exceptional the company has been to her.
“I’m in the gratitude stage,” she said. “I could go on and on about how amazing this company’s been to me. My family’s taken care of. And I will get to retire the way I want to.”
Visit northwesternmutual.com to view open positions and to learn more.
