Finance Association Holds Fourth Installment of Spring 2023 Guest Speaker Series

March 21, 2023

by Santiago Aponte and Axel Grossmann

On March 1, Alyssa Gunnells and Richie Miller, representatives from Northwestern Mutual, spoke to the Finance Association for the fourth installment of the Spring 2023 Guest Speaker Series.

Alyssa and Richie started the conversation talking about their background and career path at Northwestern Mutual. Alyssa, a Georgia Southern alumna, is the recruitment coordinator and conducts recruitment, training, and development for the College Financial Representative (CFR) program, and Richie Miller is a strategic growth associate.

Alyssa discussed the various products offered by the company as well as the opportunities within the CFR program, which is designed to provide students hands-on experience as a financial representative and helps them build their own financial planning practice. Post-graduation, students can go full-time if they demonstrate the appropriate skills and drive that it takes to be a successful financial representative. The internship and post-graduation programs are both 10-week programs beginning in May of each year. The company provides mentorship, support, and education to help interns and employees grow and succeed in the field. She stressed that successful interns need to be coachable and have good communication skills.

Alyssa and Richie continued their presentation explaining what a mutual company is and what it takes to be a great financial planner and discussed the required technical and soft skills. They offered advice and guidance to the students, mentioning that complacency is one of the greatest challenges that can hinder career growth. They encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and develop good habits early.

The event ended with Alyssa and Richie answering a multitude of questions from the students. For example, “What is the most rewarding part of working with the company as well as working as a financial representative?” “What are the advantages of working with Northwestern Mutual versus other companies?” and “What is the number of clients a representative meets during a week?” as well as asking about important professional certifications.

Alyssa and Richie came as part of the team of the Northwestern Mutual Goodwin Wright branch, based in Atlanta, which has a career retention rate of 50% and is the third highest-producing branch in the nation. John Wright, the managing partner and chair of the Managing Partners Association, has more than 30 years of experience and has been named one of Atlanta’s most admired CEOs.