Originally published by InHerSight

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for 165 years. Rated most highly for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Maternity and Adoptive Leave, and Flexible Work Hours, they receive top-notch reviews like this one from a very satisfied rater: “Northwestern Mutual offers fantastic growth opportunities and leadership really listens to its employees. They are transparent in their communication and offer a very inclusive and welcoming environment.” Click to explore Northwestern Mutual’s ratings, benefits, and open roles now!

A word from InHerSight's partner Northwestern Mutual

Creating a culture of belonging where women can join, stay, and grow is essential to Northwestern Mutual’s success. We understand the importance of fostering inclusive spaces that empower women to have a seat at the table. We believe that collaboration and mentorship among women and allies benefits women and leads to stronger, more dynamic teams. The mutual exchange of ideas and support helps everyone grow and succeed together.

Northwestern Mutual’s Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG)

The vision of the Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG) is to make Northwestern Mutual the destination for top talent where women thrive in our workplace and communities. Our mission is to foster a workplace that values and encourages women to be their genuine selves while supporting their development and contribution to the company's success at all levels. As part of the Women’s Initiative Strategic Ecosystem (WISE), the WERG's impact extends beyond the ERG, encompassing mentoring, programming, networking, and other intentional actions. This collective effort ensures that our initiatives not only support women within Northwestern Mutual but also contribute to a broader, more inclusive culture.

Antoinette Thomas, WERG chair and Assistant Director of digital adoption at Northwestern Mutual, said: “The collaboration among the Employee Resource Groups, WISE partners and functional Diversity & Inclusion councils continues to create a space where all women feel seen, supported and encouraged to be themselves and flourish, which continues the progress towards making NM the place where top women talent join, stay and grow.”

An article by Forbes underscores the importance of such impacts. Out of a survey of over 400 men, “…the majority of respondents (88 percent) say they want to help women advance in the workplace, but they don’t know the best actions to take.”  This highlights a significant gap in knowledge and action, which WISE aims to address. 

Created in 2019, WISE brings together the collective power of women and ally groups, fostering deeper connections and meaningful engagements. One shining example of this is initiative is the collaboration between our Male Allies group and VIBE (Visible Intentional Black Excellence). VIBE’s mission is to build community and connections that strengthen inclusion and career success for Black women at Northwestern Mutual. Together, these groups have created a dynamic space for knowledge-sharing programs, such as reverse mentoring. This innovative approach pairs women with male allies, promoting a two-way exchange of insights and experiences. Through these interactions, members of the Male Allies group gain a profound understanding of the experiences women face in both the workplace and our broader communities.

Male leadership on being an ally

By participating in reverse mentoring, male leaders across the company can gain valuable insights into the challenges encountered by their female colleagues and learn how to be more effective allies.

“There is an importance in leaning in and understanding differences,” said Art Mees, VP of Regional Distribution Performance. “Sometimes someone will only be looking for commonality between each other, when you should build confidence in the ability to get more comfortable saying tell me about that difference here… and in doing so, you are more likely able to be in tune with the whole view and your whole experience and create more connection and more ability to be good partners.”  

Our commitment to supporting women in our workplace is reinforced by our leadership’s dedication to these programs.

“Having grown my career in the technology field, it was impossible to not notice that few women were represented. As a result, voices were left out of conversations and a diversity of thought was missing,” said Northwestern Mutual’s EVP and Chief Strategy Officer, and Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) executive sponsor, Jeff Sippel. “We have an obligation to help our peers advance in their careers. In traditionally male dominated fields, like tech, there aren’t always accessible opportunities for women. With men leaning in intentionally, we can invite women into those spaces and create opportunities for career advancement.”

The reverse mentorship program

The mentorship program consists of a four-month commitment where pairings meet monthly to build relationships, discuss life experiences and create connections across the organization.   

Members are encouraged to lean into this opportunity to fully embrace the experience. Through the program, male allies gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges and women receive valuable one-on-one face time with male allies and learn about their experiences.  

In its inaugural year, the program, open to anyone to participate, saw 19 mentor pairings. In 2024, we saw nearly a 75 percent increase in pairs of participants.  For leaders within the Male Allies group, the opportunity to connect with VIBE members has aided their allyship journey and served as a leadership tool to broaden perspective. 

Florie Greenhill, lead program manager at Northwestern Mutual, said being part of the reverse mentoring program, “provided me with an opportunity to connect with a senior leader I would never have had a reason to engage with otherwise…He was able to hear tangible examples of experiences I have had as a Black woman in corporate America and draw the connections to where his piece fits into that puzzle for me and other Black women at Northwestern Mutual. It was a safe space to discuss the impact of actions and words and over the course of the mentoring, my mentee would come to our meetings prepared with examples of how my mentorship helped him navigate different situations both professionally and personally.”

These personal connections and dialogues are crucial in fostering an inclusive workplace. 

“Reverse mentoring raises visibility and builds a bridge toward enhanced understanding of the experiences of others—outside and within the organization,” said Noleta Franz, VIBE chair and Assistant Director of Legal Process. “It has opened doors to have conversations about important issues that matter to Black women.”

Northwestern Mutual believes that learning about experiences outside your own is a critical component in how we relate, collaborate, enhance leadership, and are catalysts for change in workplace culture. 

To learn more about our initiatives and how we’re supporting women, visit our Culture page.