John started his career with Northwestern Mutual in 2008. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and has his Chartered Life Underwriter® designation.

He lives in River Forest, Illinois, with his wife Julie and their daughters Maura and Lucy. John and Julie met at Fenwick High School, after which Julie attended Georgetown in Washington D.C. She volunteered with Teach for America, graduated from Loyola Law School, and is now an employment attorney. Maura was born in 2014 and has an unquenchable zeal for life. She loves animals and is very excited about their new puppy, Domino, who joined the family in the summer of 2022. Lucy was born in 2017 and loves dresses and princesses. The girls are sixth-generation residents of the Oak Park River Forest neighborhood just west of Chicago.

In his free time, John enjoys fishing, hiking, golfing, and cheering on both Notre Dame and Chicago sports teams. He loves fast cars, slow mornings, making kombucha, and—unusual though it may be—math.

After graduating from Wheaton College with a degree in business and economics, Mike began his career working in the financial industry. In 2007, Mike joined Northwestern Mutual after realizing he preferred work involving long-term relationships. Since then, he has qualified multiple times for Forum, a national distinction achieved by the top 5% of Northwestern Mutual advisors.

Mike specializes in working with business owners, but more importantly with those who have a sense of urgency and importance when it comes to their own personal planning. Mike recognizes that each person’s financial security and goals are unique. He has made it his goal to come along side and advise in his clients’ best interest, building a lifetime of security, serving their needs over time.

Mike, his wife Lauren, and their two daughters, Caroline and Natalie, currently reside in Elmhurst, IL. Outside of work, Mike enjoys being with his family and friends, traveling, and enjoying athletic competition in golfing, basketball, and cycling.

Al started at Northwestern Mutual in 2006, shortly after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005. Nothing drives Al more than his family - his amazing wife, Amanda, wonderful sons, Arran and Ain, and loving superdog, Ace.

In 2022, Al was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top Next-Gen Wealth Management Advisors in Illinois.

Outside of the office, Al is an avid bowler and traveler. Some of his favorite trips include Korea, a safari in East Africa, the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Maldives, London, Italy, Norway, and Spain. He is also a huge sports fan, especially fond of the Chicago Cubs. One of his greatest moments was witnessing Game 7 of the World Series in Cleveland. He is also proud to have been given the opportunity to throw the first pitch at Wrigley Field, twice!

Forbes “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list, (August 2022). Research & ranking developed by Shook Research, LLC. Based upon data as of 3/31/2022. Northwestern Mutual and its advisors do not pay for placement on 3rd party rating lists, but do pay marketing fees to these organizations to promote the rating(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success.

Jim is from Rockford, IL and currently resides in Park Ridge with his wife, Nicole, and their two wonderful children, William (6) & Evelyn (4). In addition to spending time with family & friends, Jim is very active in the Park Ridge community, serving on the Park Ridge Youth Commission, as well as the Junior Board of Advocate Lutheran General. He is also actively involved with Saint Paul of the Cross.

Jim is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alumni and an avid supporter of the Chicago Bears, Cubs, Bulls, and Blackhawks.

An NM financial advisor since 2006, Jim is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and has his Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter® designations.

Jim believes in giving back to his profession and serves on the Advisory Board of Northwestern University School of Professional Studies CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ program. Jim is also a member of the Military Field Advisory Committee at Northwestern Mutual.

Lanita started with Northwestern Mutual in 2016 after beginning her career in financial services in 2009. She is licensed for Life & Health Insurance in Illinois and has her Series 7 and 63. A jack-of-all-trades, Lanita helps open new investment accounts and insurance policies, and also services existing insurance and investments.

In her free time, Lanita enjoys being a baseball mom, volunteering at the Glass Slipper Project, and spending time with family and friends.

Dave joined Northwestern Mutual in 2023 as the Director of Financial Planning. Dave has over 13 years of experience. Prior to joining the team, Dave was a financial advisor at Spahn Financial, and was an ETF & UIT Specialist at First Trust Portfolios in Wheaton. Dave graduated from Wheaton College, where he studied Business and Economics and played football. Dave is passionate about building meaningful relationships with the families he serves.

Outside of work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife & four children, coaching sports teams, and bringing people together over great food and drinks. Dave and his family belong to Holy Cross in Batavia where Dave helps lead a Catholic men’s group.

With 20 years of experience in financial planning, David joined the team in 2023. Having previously run his own wealth management company, he brings a breadth of knowledge to the firm. Investments are his passion (he has his Series 7, 63, and 65), but David is also licensed in Life & Health in Illinois, as he believes in the importance of risk management as a strong foundation to any financial plan.

David and his wife, Christy, reside in downtown Chicago, where they enjoy cooking, traveling, and planning their dream of retiring to a small cabin in the mountains.

Jeff graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor’s degree in Management, and started working at Northwestern Mutual in 2013. He manages investment operations and can help with inquiries relating to wealth management, analysis, and other client servicing needs. He is licensed for Life & Health, Annuities, and Long-Term Care in Illinois and has his Series 6, 7, and 63. He is also a Notary Public.

Outside of work, Jeff loves being a first-time dad. He also played on the Korean American Olympic Volleyball team for Chicago in 2009 & 2015.

Katrina is responsible for making our clients feel welcomed and cared for. Her goal is to know each of our client families and their story, and she helps us celebrate important milestones in their lives. When communicating with clients, she strives to make the process seamless and convenient, and she ensures our firm has up-to-date records of their important information. Katrina also facilitates our practice’s website management, social media, local ad opportunities, and sponsorships.

Katrina lives in Lafayette, Colorado, with her husband, Patrick, and their daughters, Helen and Rosalie. Her family loves to travel the world and visit new places. Recently they have kept the adventures a little closer to home, enjoying local coffee shops, parks, and libraries. Katrina is known for her powerful memory, and she hopes to put this to good use in her role at the firm. She is also an avid pie baker!

Dandria “Dani Jo” Williams joined the team in 2023. Dani Jo oversees scheduling and prep for client meetings. She holds her Illinois license in Life and Health. Her background includes experience working in the financial world at Intuit, as well as the Arts as an executive director at Symphony of Change, and a choreographer/teacher at The Joffrey Ballet. Dani Jo strives to serve our clients well and looks forward to helping streamline the financial planning process for our families and business owners.

In her free time, Dani Jo sings in a pop soul band with her husband, called RubyGld Smoke. She also creates vegan hair care products. Dani Jo loves to hang out with her family (she is the oldest of 7). She currently resides in the Chicago suburbs.

Kez joined the team in 2022 after working as an Executive Assistant in other industries for almost a decade. As an EA, Kez helps manage our calendars and creates efficiencies for our team and our clients. She also boosts morale at our firm by organizing team outings and camaraderie events.

Outside of work, Kez is an actor, rock climber, yoga instructor, and dog mom. A military brat, she has lived in Chicago for over 5 years, the longest she has ever stayed in one place.

Prior to being employed by NM, Julie has been a client of Northwestern Mutual and a believer in financial planning. She comes with significant experience from the financial industry, having led teams and championing client service at a high level. Currently, Julie is the Office Manager of the Deerfield office and Executive Assistant to Jim, as her role evolves.

Julie is the proud mother of two adult children; her son, Mitch, lives in Dallas and daughter, Taylor, lives downtown Chicago. Her furry child, Bella, a 12-year old teacup Yorkie is still at home. She has a Granddog, Oakley, with another on the way in July. Julie is passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle; she works out 4-5 days/week. She is a happy homeowner and does all the work around her house. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking/baking, listening to live music, and photography. She is most passionate about helping others, donating blood and chocolate.

As the Director of Financial Planning, John employs critical thinking and detailed analysis to develop solutions for our clients’ plans. Every financial plan runs through him, and his goal is to ensure the ideas and objectives developed for each client are relevant and attainable. He oversees investment management and retirement distribution strategies, building and implementing the infrastructure to maximize tax efficient strategies, and support our clients’ lifetime and generational goals.

John lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, with his wife, Maggie, and their cat, Phoebe. They enjoy trying new restaurants and watching movies together. (They are particularly partial to the Marvel saga.) John loves reading books on psychology, and he hopes to travel to many beautiful places in the Unites States.

David has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2015. He is licensed for Life & Health in Illinois and has his Series 6, 7, and 63. David has earned the designation of Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). David assists our clients with both insurance and investments.

Outside of the office, David is an actor and singer and has performed on various stages throughout the Chicagoland area. David and his girlfriend live in Lincoln Park with their two cats, Rosie and Hopper.

Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Ken was a long-term Northwestern Mutual customer and Managing Director at Accenture. Ken specialized in managing all aspects of large Process and Systems Projects helping global companies in transforming business areas including HR, Finance and Supply Chain. Ken brings this business and corporate experience to Northwestern Mutual.

Ken received his undergraduate degree in Business from Indiana University in Bloomington, and his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A resident of Deerfield, IL, Ken enjoys running and is an avid Chicago Bears fan.

Don graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2017 with a degree in Economics. He is a CFA charter holder and has experience in investment research and analysis, wealth management, and financial planning.

Don lives in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago with his fiancé, Sydney. Don enjoys playing 16-inch softball, golfing, watching football, and trying new restaurants in the city.

Jackie joined Four Oak Financial in 2024. She brings support to the insurance team in processing applications, assisting with underwriting, and providing client service. She lives in Mokena with her husband, Matt and two children, Jacob and Kiley, and their dog, Olaf. In her free time, she enjoys being at her children’s sporting events.

Haley joined Northwestern Mutual in 2023 and assists our clients with new insurance applications as well as servicing existing policies.

Haley graduated with her associate degree from the College of Lake County after moving to Illinois from Arkansas on an athletic scholarship. She is looking forward to eventually getting her bachelor’s degree. Haley enjoys learning, reading, playing volleyball, and being outdoors.

Jarrett joined Four Oak Financial in 2024. He has been with Northwestern Mutual since the beginning of 2022 and holds his Life and Health Insurance license. In this time, Jarrett has worked closely with many advisors and underwriters to develop his knowledge in multiple areas of the insurance business.

Outside of work, Jarrett enjoys cooking, playing board games, and watching movies and TV. He also spends a great deal of time with family and friends. Beginning this fall he will be pursuing an MBA in Human Resources.

Jessica joined Northwestern Mutual in 2016. She graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. She holds her Illinois license in Life and Health.

Jessica’s responsibilities include processing insurance applications and assisting with underwriting, preparing insurance illustrations and reports, providing client service, and managing the overall day-to-day workflow of the business.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with family and friends, loves the outdoors, and fills her passion of helping others through her involvement with Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and the children’s programs at her church.

Lyndsey joined Northwestern Mutual in 2012. She graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. She holds her Illinois license in Life and Health. She currently works part time, building our client appreciation program and executing marketing initiatives. She is committed to helping enhance the experience for clients in their financial planning journey.

Outside of the office, Lyndsey enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, making stationary, cooking, and traveling.