Northwestern Mutual Promotes EVP to President
April 28, 2014 by Fran Matso Lysiak
MILWAUKEE – Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s board of trustees has promoted Greg Oberland to president, effective May 1. He currently is executive vice president — products, sales and marketing.
The move unites responsibility for sales, marketing and agencies under one function, and intended strengthen the company’s strategic focus on growing its field force, Northwestern Mutual said in a statement.
Joining the company in 1982 as an attorney, Oberland moved to the business side five years later. He has had increasing executive level responsibility for several product line and operational areas including disability income insurance, life underwriting, policyowner services and information systems.
Oberland will continue reporting to John Schlifske, chairman and chief executive officer of Northwestern Mutual.
Net income in 2013 for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. rose 2.4% to $802 million. The company’s financial results reflected sticking to the “fundamentals” — the performance of its investments in its general account in an environment that remains “pretty volatile,” claims experience and being efficient and managing expenses — in the field and in the home office, Chris Kelly, vice president and controller for Northwestern Mutual, told Best’s News Service earlier this year (Best’s News Service, March 6, 2014).
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Co. each currently has a Best’s Financial Strength Rating of A++ (Superior).
(By Fran Matso Lysiak, senior associate editor, BestWeek: fran.lysiak@ambest.com)
