Business | Top Midsize Workplace: Northwestern Mutual, Where Focus Is on Community and Teamwork

Fourteen years ago, Kristi Holmes started working at Northwestern Mutual-The South Florida Group as a temp.

Two months later, she was offered a full time entry-level position doing data entry for newly submitted applications.

Holmes is now director of operations, leading the charge at Northwestern Mutual-The South Florida Group on the day-to-day operations of the company and planning events.

In the 14 years she has been with the company, she has watched it grow and develop into an environment that puts team members first, strives to promote a diverse workplace, and works to foster a family-like environment for those who work there.

“When I first got here, we were kind of broken up in different departments and we didn’t necessarily communicate with others in different departments,” Holmes said. “We realized it wasn’t working for us and started having a staff meeting where everyone, no matter the agency, attended. We decided that togetherness worked for us, with our monthly staff appreciation lunches, etc.”

And it’s that commitment that made Northwestern Mutual claim the top spot for mid-size workplaces in the South Florida Sun Sentinel 2023 Top Workplaces competition. The category includes businesses that employ between 125 and 400 people.

“The mission of the South Florida Group is to lead and inspire others by aligning their vision, their values and their actions to achieve financial security, one community and one business at a time,” said M. Kevin Lawhorn, managing partner with Northwestern Mutual-The South Florida Group. “When we treat clients, we make the same recommendations that we would do for our own families.”

Northwestern Mutual-The South Florida Group is a financial planning company in South Florida with offices in Palm Beach Gardens, downtown Fort Lauderdale, downtown Miami, Coral Gables and Naples. With over 115 financial advisers, who have their own staff, and 60 full-time employees, the territory the company covers ranges from Vero Beach to Fort Myers and south to Key West.

One of the top priorities of the company is to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive, from the employees to the clients they serve.

In fact, the business has a client retention rate of about 97%, meaning the majority of their clients end up staying with Northwestern Mutual for a while. And after a financial adviser has been with them for five years, 93% of them will end up staying until they retire.

“I would say it’s the camaraderie of the people,” said Brian Neeas, chief operating office of Northwestern Mutual-The South Florida Group. “I truly believe that everyone cares about each other and is really trying to help the best that they can.”

It’s reflected in the weekly staff meeting they’ve started, where everyone from all departments is welcome to attend and give their input on the company. The company also hosts fun gatherings like tailgate parties for Dolphins events, where all of the staff is invited to the game. There are family events hosted in the office, as well as partnering with local nonprofits in South Florida to give back to the community.

They’ve made tweaks along the way as well to be more inclusive: After hearing from the women on the staff, the group started including events that were more centered to the interest of women employees, such as getting tickets to the Miami Open.

“We think we have always been a Top Workplace,” added Lawhorn. “And this is an acknowledgement of who we are and what we stand for.”