Northwestern Mutual - The Romero Financial Group Career Opportunities

Grow your career . . . your life
Since 1857, Northwestern Mutual has been helping people protect against financial risk and achieve financial security. Managing Partner, Mabry Romero states, "I am proud to be a part of this company. I am moved by the legacy of those who came before me, and I take seriously this tremendous opportunity and great responsibility."

Mabry Romero, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, Managing Partner
The ambition of Managing Partner, Mabry Romero is to make a positive impact on all associates and their clientele by creating an environment of desire, confidence, consistency, and positive results. Education, motivation, and empowerment are the tools by which this office enables its associates to envision and fulfill a successful future to better serve its clients.

The mission of Mabry Romero and The Romero Financial Group is to provide its clients with expert guidance and innovative solutions that are right for each client. Whether focused on personal finances, business needs or both, they help clients understand their financial goals and ensure they are providing them with the right guidance and products to meet their needs.

Northwestern Mutual Financial Network brings together the skills of representatives, the expertise of advisors and the technical know-how of a number of financial specialists to provide solutions for clients' financial goals and help you gain access to the products and services of a wide variety of organizations—each of which has a comprehensive understanding of a specific aspect of financial services.

And through The Network and The Romero Financial Group, here are just a few of the products and services available to your clients:

• Life, disability, and long-term care insurance
• Mutual funds, annuities, bonds, money markets, stocks
• Investment and advisory services
• Trust services, educating funding, retirement solutions
• Comprehensive financial analysis

Our Expertise
Just as your clients trust and rely on you to provide needs analysis and innovative solutions, you can trust and rely on Mabry Romero, The Romero Financial Group and the Network to provide sound products and services for your clients.

You might conclude that no one person can be an expert in all financial matters. We agree. That's why we provide you and your clients with access to a nationwide network of representatives, advisors and specialists who will work with you to provide a full range of services.

At The Romero Financial Group, our expertise includes:

• Estate Analysis
• Long-Term Care
• Employee and Executive Benefits
• Investment Services
• Business Needs Analysis
• Personal Needs Analysis
• Disability Income Insurance
• Advanced Planning

Diversity
At The Romero Financial Group, we are committed to reflecting our community and seek talented individuals who share our core values. As part of our overall growth strategy, we are committed to building and fostering a diverse organization of network representatives and specialists. We do so without regard to gender, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age.

We take pride in our unique strengths and the expertise we share with our clients. Our entire community can benefit from our expertise and can be rewarded with the advantages of the careers we offer. We will continue to be committed to reaching all segments of our community in which we live and conduct business.

Meet Managing Partner, Mabry Romero, CLU, ChFC, CLTC
Mabry Romero was not supposed to be in this business. With a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology, he was supposed to work in the petroleum industry. But his uncle's influence, his choice of colleges, and his natural disposition toward helping people, have all played a part in grooming him for his new role.

After graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he was working among engineers. The oil and gas market was in a prolonged down cycle.

As a teenager this wasn't his impression of an ideal career. Romero's uncle, Donald, was in charge of the Romero Agency in Lafayette, La., and Romero grew up around financial representatives. "Watching these people made a huge impression on me," Romero said. "I saw genuine people who loved their work, enjoyed financial success, and had the flexibility to spend time with family and outside interests."

Mabry Romero didn't realize it at the time, but his original career choice lacked one of the important elements he needed in a profession - the ability to interact with people on all levels to build lasting business and personal relationships.

So in 1986, Romero became a financial representative. Eleven years later, Roger McChesney, CLU, succeeded the elder Romero as managing partner and offered the younger Romero an opportunity as field director. "Roger and I started in this business at the same time. "He had confidence in me, but I didn't have a clue about what I was supposed to do. With his mentoring and leadership, and support from the Milwaukee corporate office and the leadership development program, we had tremendous success."

In 2003, he became managing director, a role he enjoyed for the same reasons he became a financial representative. "It's a pleasure to work with people who share your passion. It's exciting to watch them face the same struggles you faced, and to help them overcome those challenges."

Early struggles
As much as Romero has enjoyed this career, he admits early struggles made him question his choice. In the midst of his hardest days, his friend was killed. "One afternoon I was in his office taking his application, and our meeting was unexpectedly cut short. We rescheduled for the following week, just a few days before his wedding. Before we could meet again, he died."

Mabry has never forgotten the feeling of unfinished business. "If we had completed the process, it would have made a tremendous difference to his family. In 19 years I have delivered over 60 disability claims and exactly 13 death claims. These experiences are a constant reminder that what we do is extremely important."

Looking ahead
As managing partner, Mabry Romero leverages those lessons by attracting great candidates for the business, and helping them develop a vision for the career.

An Opportunity to Succeed
Successful financial representatives with The Romero Financial Group experience tremendous pride and satisfaction in building a practice from the ground up. Their success is not a factor of luck or chance; it's the result of a productive work ethic, strong relationship skills and a level of professionalism second to none. A mission of doing what's right for our clients is the thread that weaves together our organization.

The goal is not to simply sell products, but to discover clients' needs and help to meet them. That means taking the time to understand each person's financial situation, values and goals.

This career offers:

• The ability to meet new people and positively impact families, businesses and communities as you help to achieve their goals and dreams
   
• An entrepreneurial opportunity to own your own business
   
• A high degree of support and training, plus ongoing curriculum for educational growth and personal development
   
• The flexibility of a career that allows you to focus on things of importance to you
   
• Earnings where you are directly rewarded for your efforts
   
• A strong team culture and the opportunity to work with a variety of specialists and advisors
   
• Exclusive access to a variety of world-class solutions and services, including life insurance from Northwestern Mutual
   
• Leadership and development opportunities
   

Your Development
You'll have assistance in developing your business and marketing plans, extensive training and coaching from certified trainers.

New representatives receive initial industry and sales training as well as mentoring and joint work programs for hands-on experience. They have access to on-line education resources for polishing skills and keeping up to date on industry information as well as exposure to opportunities for ongoing career education and advanced professional designations to increase their knowledge and reputation.

Your Business
We know that building your own business is difficult without help. As a financial representative with The Romero Financial Group, you will be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. The Romero Financial Group will provide you with support in your training and development, so you don't have to do it alone.

We take pride in our unique strengths and the expertise we share with our clients. Our communities can benefit from our expertise and can be rewarded with the advantages of the careers offered through the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.

If you're ready to be your own boss, set your own hours and make a positive impact on people's lives everyday, then turn your dreams into reality and find out what a career as a Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Representative with The Romero Financial Group can do for you.

Discover your potential when you join our team.

The Benefits of Your Success
Your career as a financial representative is what you make of it. You have the freedom to balance your hard work and determination with your personal goals. In the beginning of your career, it takes a tremendous amount of time, energy and commitment to earn the flexibility and financial rewards you will enjoy later on. You can achieve financial independence and have a positive impact on your clients, your family and your own community.

Income
A financial representative's income potential is virtually unlimited. Earnings are directly related to sales results and client relationships. Financial representatives are compensated through commissions, renewals and bonuses.

• Our top producer group, The Forum, had a median gross income of over $410,800 in 2004.
• First-year, average gross income during 2002-2004 for financial representatives ranged from $38,900 to $83,900.

Benefit Package
Whether you are single or married with a family, Northwestern Mutual's benefit package will address the various stages of a full-time financial representative's life. These benefits include: Comprehensive Medical Coverage, Retirement, Flex Programs, Childcare/Eldercare, Maternity Leave, Group Life and Accidental Death Benefit, Disability Income Insurance. Your local network office can provide additional information.

Lifestyle
When you invest the time and hard work necessary to build a successful practice as a financial representative, you can enjoy the rare and envied reward of balancing work with your personal goals. You can arrange your schedule so you may have three or four appointments a day, and still have time to participate in your children's school programs, community involvement or leisure-time activities.

Build a business that allows you to schedule meetings to accommodate your clients' schedules and your own.

Impact
The goal of the Network is not to simply sell products, but to discover clients' needs and provide solutions to meet them. That means taking the time to understand each person's financial situation, values and goals. Every solution you implement may help secure the financial future of your clients, their families, their businesses and your community.

You can experience the rewards of a career in which you can have a daily, positive impact on people's lives, including your own.

Meet some of the members of our Team
A mission of doing what's right for our clients is the thread that weaves together our organization. Meet some of The Romero Financial Group financial representatives that exemplify this mission.

Career Opportunities
Through The Romero Financial Group, our financial representatives have advancement opportunities into management and specialist opportunities.

Joseph J. Sirico, Field Director
Joseph Sirico assists in the recruitment and selection process of candidates in order to build a cohesive unit of productive full-time Financial Representatives.

Marnie Tate, Long-Term Care Specialist
Marnie Tate helps individual and corporate clients understand their long-term care insurance needs.

James I. Campbell, Disability Income Specialist
James Campbell assists individuals and businesses design a disability income insurance program for both individual and group needs.

Career Insights
Marnie Tate is the Long-Term Care Specialist for The Romero Financial Group. Read about her experience as a financial representative.

When Marnie was a single mother, she was bumping up against the limitations of her career in banking. True, she had advanced from teller to branch manager and loan officer in Florida's Gulf Coast area but she had neither the time to devote to her son nor the salary to support his needs and wants.

Marnie has always had a sincere desire to make a difference in people's lives, so it was no surprise that she got involved with the local chamber of commerce. But, it was a surprise when she did some joint volunteer work with a local Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Representative and he introduced her to the potential of a career in life insurance. He explained that as a Financial Representative, she could make more money, stay involved in the community and, most importantly, schedule her life around her family. It was a difficult decision for Marnie, but she's never been one to shy away from tough decisions. And she's never looked back.

"I knew I needed to do something to give me more freedom and certainly more income. It was scary, though. I was a single mother, with no child support, and went from a set salary to nothing. But I jumped in with both feet, committed to make this happen. I believe we create our own circumstances, and there's a great opportunity in the life insurance business to do that. This is a wonderful career for women because it gives you the freedom to spend time with your children. Raising children often means adapting your schedule to meet theirs, and I want to be with them for all the important events in their lives. There's no other career that I know of that offers the flexibility to focus on your career objectives and your children's activities as well."

"I knew nothing about Northwestern Mutual when I started looking at the life insurance profession. But, the Financial Representatives I met were motivated, excited, energized and vibrant. It gave me a good feeling inside. That was all it took for me to be able to make this kind of decision. I thank God every day that I did."

"Today, I have a very defined market: doctors, CPAs and small business owners. I look out into the community to find successful people that I want to work with and build lasting relationships with them based on mutual respect, trust and friendship. It's my goal to make them feel good about themselves, impact their lives in a positive way, protect their families and help them achieve their financial goals. Work for me is fun! I really love what I do. I have fun every day when I go to the office. I have fun every day working with my clients because I know that I'm investing in relationships that are going to serve me, my husband and three children in the years to come. I like to know that I make a difference in their lives. Ultimately, many of these clients have become my good friends."

Before I became a Financial Representative, I was a graduate student. The greatest reward in this career is knowing that people are hungry for help in setting their financial goals and are looking for someone to trust.

The challenge is trying to keep up with the demands of compliance and technology along with products in the marketplace. Early in my career, I needed to learn how to create the right work and study habits to progress in the marketplace. Over the course of my career, I learned you cannot be an expert in everything so be smart and share the case to make sure it is done right.

Career Advice
Become an eagle so you can soar above the career and see the big picture. There is no career tougher in the beginning, nor as satisfying in the end. Life is good. I enjoy looking back on 50 years of service. I have many stories of times my work as a Financial Representative made a difference. Perhaps having my three sons become representatives while in college certainly made a difference in their lives.

The Northwestern Mutual Difference
We’re distinguished in the marketplace because of our history of always asking three basic questions: Is it good for present policy holders? Will it be good for future policy holders? Will it be good for past policy holders? Only then is it acted on.

Internships
Whether you know where your college education is taking you or you're still keeping your options open, you owe it to yourself to see if Northwestern Mutual Financial Network's Internship program with The Romero Financial Group is right for you.

As you learn by doing, you'll find that the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Internship Program is an intense and according to our alumni -- unparalleled learning experience. Expect the process to be rewarding, educational and an opportunity for you to narrow your career search.

Our internships provide a great chance for students to combine what they've learned in the classroom with a real-life look into what they could truly make of themselves. You'll have the chance to work in a real-world business environment and earn performance-based compensation.

The ambition of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Internship program has been less to sell our financial products than to develop people. As a Financial Representative College Intern, you will enjoy the benefit of working with The Romero Financial Group where you'll receive outstanding guidance, superior support and quality expertise.

As full-time college students, interns generally work 15 to 20 hours per week developing business- and client-building skills. In most ways, our interns follow the same process for establishing their careers as our Financial Representatives.

Our internship offers you invaluable business experience that you will take with you far into your career. But that's just the start of the impact this can have on your future and your present.

Consider these benefits:

• Practical guidance in your career selection process
• The chance to develop your networking and business relationship skills
• Flexible work schedule
• Securities license, state licenses for life, health and accident insurance opportunities and a head start program for a career as a full-time Financial Representative
• Compensation in the same manner as a full-time Financial Representative.
• Actual business experience for your resume.
• Test drive the Financial Representative career.

Regardless of what you do after graduation, you'll have a foundation of skills and knowledge to build your career upon. One out of three former interns becomes a full-time Financial Representative upon graduation. These graduates have built a solid foundation for immediate and future career success.

The two-thirds who choose other career paths benefit as well. They launch their career with stronger business-building skills and a clearer sense of where they want their career to take them.

After completing the internship, the knowledge you have gained, coupled with the opportunity to work for The Romero Financial Group as a full-time Financial Representative, can lead you to a profitable and fulfilling future.

The Northwestern Mutual Advantage
Northwestern Mutual exists to help policyowners and clients protect against financial risk and achieve financial security. The company, with its subsidiaries and affiliates, offers insurance products, investment products and advisory services that address client needs for financial security and protection, capital accumulation, asset distribution and estate preservation.

With more than 350 offices across the United States, 3 million policyowners and clients, $18 billion in annual revenues and $133 billion in assets, you can count on Northwestern Mutual to help you build strong financial futures for your clients.

The company's tradition of "doing the right thing" has been honored and nurtured by successive generations within Northwestern Mutual and recognized in the industry and media.

• World's Most Admired--Northwestern Mutual is the "World's Most Admired" company in its industry, according to FORTUNE magazine's annual survey of industry executives and analysts. For Northwestern Mutual, it is the seventh year as the top life/health insurance company in the magazine's global survey.
   
• First in Customer Satisfaction-- For the third year in a row, Northwestern Mutual has earned the highest customer satisfaction score among U.S. life insurers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's (ACSI) survey. Northwestern Mutual's industry leading score can be found in the ACSI's fourth quarter of 2005 consumer study, focusing on retail trade, e-commerce, banks and insurance.
   
• America's Most Admired--According to the March 7, 2006, FORTUNE magazine survey, Northwestern Mutual has been named "America's Most Admired" life insurance company for 23 years.
   
• One of America's Top Ten Internships for 2006--"Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has made our Top 10 list for ten consecutive years, proving its internship program to be consistently among the best." Internship Informants™, Vault, inc., 20006.
   
• Selling Power's 50 Best Companies to Sell For--Northwestern Mutual was ranked as the 2nd best and 4th largest service company (November/December 2005).
   
• Financial Ratings--The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (Northwestern Mutual), the nation's largest direct provider of individual life insurance, according to statistics compiled from A. M. Best data, has always received the best possible insurance financial strength ratings from the four major rating services: Standard & Poor's (AAA), Fitch Ratings (AAA), A. M. Best (A++) and Moody's (Aaa).
   
• Top 100 Employers--Ranked 22nd in The Black Collegian's "Top 100 Employer and The Majors in Demand" for the Class of 2005.
   
• Largest Direct Provider of Life Insurance--According to statistics compiled from A. M. Best data, Northwestern Mutual is the largest direct provider of life insurance.
   
• Community Support--The Northwestern Mutual Foundation supports nearly 1,500 schools and nonprofit organizations each year. Last year, the Foundation contributed nearly $13 million ($12,534,005) in national and Milwaukee-area grants.
   
• 2006 Dividend--Northwestern Mutual's overall dividend payout to policyowners for 2006 is expected to be $4.27 billion, an increase of $360 million, the largest single increase in company history. This ongoing success, fostered by the company's tradition of "doing the right thing," has been honored and nurtured by successive generations within Northwestern Mutual.