Michael CarterTim GerendRonald JolesonMSU’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and Northwestern Mutual are pleased to announce that three national executives will speak on Thursday, January 29, at 3:00 p.m. in the Procrastinator Theater in the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus.

The talk, “A Conversation from the Top: National Executives from Northwestern Mutual on Ethics and Careers,” is free and open to the public. Michael G. Carter, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Tim Gerend, senior vice president-agencies; and Ronald P. Joelson, executive vice president and chief investment officer, will be the speakers for this event.

The presentation will provide information about Northwestern Mutual, including what a mutual company is and how that affects the organization’s strategy, their unique approach to investing, financial management and strategic planning, as well as where the company has been and what the future holds.

The presentation will also focus on corporate ethics in action, why ethics is one of the core components of Northwestern Mutual’s competitive advantage and how regulation and compliance relate to ethics. The presenters will share stories about critical decisions and various turning points in their careers, along with examples of ethics in action.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Michael G. Carter, executive vice president and chief financial officer, is responsible for the company’s financial management functions, strategic planning and enterprise risk management oversight. He also is a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. Carter received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., and a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law—Chapel Hill, in 1988. He became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1994 and achieved his Fellowship in the Life Management Institute (FLMI) in 1995. Carter’s professional affiliations include the Wisconsin State Bar, American Bar Association, WICPA and AICPA.

Tim Gerend, senior vice president—agencies, is accountable for performance and relationship management of the company’s exclusive independent distribution system. This includes executive oversight of field growth and development, field distribution and policy administration and field oversight and support delivered through Northwestern Mutual’s regional teams. Gerend is a graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Economics and he received his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.

Ronald P. Joelson, executive vice president and chief investment officer, oversees management of the company’s $186 billion general account investment portfolio, which is made up of public and private bonds and stocks, preferred stock, commercial mortgage loans and real estate equities. The general account portfolio supports the company’s surplus and its insurance and annuity products. Joelson is responsible for the company’s three investment subsidiaries: Mason Street Advisors, LLC; Northwestern Mutual Capital, LLC; and Northwestern Mutual Real Estate Investments, LLC. These subsidiaries invest the company’s managed assets in accordance with Northwestern Mutual’s investment policy. He also is a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team.

Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual in 2012, Joelson successfully managed investments for two global insurance companies. He served as chief investment officer of Genworth Financial and managed the company’s $75 billion investment portfolio. He also served as chief investment officer for Prudential Financial from 2000-07, where he spent the majority of his career, and oversaw Prudential’s $230 billion general account. Joelson graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in economics and government. He earned his M.B.A. in finance and accounting from Columbia University in New York City.

You can find this event on the MSU calendar here: https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/14509.