episode 793

Trust through Cybersecurity: Northwestern Mutual CIO on a Client-Centric IT Strategy

Jeff Sippel the Chief Information Officer of Northwestern Mutual, a financial planning, life insurance, and investment services company that earns in excess of $36 billion in annual revenue. Jeff has been in his role for roughly one and a half years and has been with the company for nearly four years. He came into his role as CIO with a background in client experience and draws on that experience to inform his current experience as a chief information officer. Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Jeff served in various roles with financial services firm Acorns including Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Technology Officer. August 14, 2023

793: Jeff Sippel joins the broadcast to describe why he believes technology strategy should be viewed as a ‘peer’ to corporate strategy, focusing on client-centricity. He explains the importance of cybersecurity as a core capability and driver of trust within the financial services industry, the advantage of data as a key element in developing a perspective on customer experience, and the criticality of incorporating AI/ML for automation and productivity enhancement. Jeff also explains the modernization process at Northwestern Mutual, the culture that helps with the change management behind that modernization, and how his past roles in customer experience helped inform his view as CIO. Finally, Jeff looks ahead at the trends in technology on the horizon and reflects on the keys to his career success.

Also available on YouTube:

“When we think about our technology strategy, it really needs to be tied to that business strategy.”

The World Class IT principles in yellow were the focus of this interview

  • 01 1- People
  • 02 2- Infrastructure
  • 03 3- Project and Portfolio Management
  • 04 4- IT & Business Partnership
  • 05 5- External Partnerships

From strategy to implementation

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