John C Dawson

John grew up on a grain and cattle farm in Morocco, Indiana, where his love for 4-H and showing Angus cattle shaped much of his early life. Inspired by his grandfather, he attended Culver Military Academy, graduating as a swim team captain and the top-ranking student officer. At Purdue University, he earned degrees in economics and psychology—and, most importantly, met his wife, Gretchen. In 2007, John launched his career as a financial advisor in Indianapolis, later serving as the firm’s managing director for a decade. He’s passionate about helping others plan for their future and building lasting relationships along the way. Outside of work, John enjoys his faith, family life with Gretchen and their three kids, and just about anything that gets him outdoors.

John's team assists clients in developing a holistic financial plan with an emphasis on risk management and wealth accumulation. The practice serves families and business in all stages of maturation who think big, care about others, and have a relentless focus on personal, professional, and financial growth. As a result of their focus on client service, John Dawson's team has grown entirely through repeat business and referrals from existing clients. 

John Dawson began his career at Northwestern Mutual in 2007 as a College Financial Representative after graduating from Purdue University. Becoming a full-time Financial Representative later that year, John ranked 6th in the Mike Gish contest; a prestigious award which recognizes the top ten first year former interns. He then added the position of College Unit Director to his responsibilities. In this role, John's desire was to attract and mentor Purdue students to Northwestern Mutual, offering them the same opportunity he has been blessed with.

A NAIFA Quality Award recipient, John has achieved Million Dollar Roundtable qualifying member for numerous years. With a focus on education, development and mastery, he earned the CLU® and ChFC® designations through the American College. To share his passion for financial planning John served as a Manager Director for Northwestern Mutual from 2014-2024. 

Education

Degree
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Arts

Major
Economics
Psychology

Institution
Purdue University

When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.

Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.

It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.