Meet Mark
Professional Life
I have spent a career serving Soldiers, their families, and our country.
My 27-year career in the Army has been split between Active Duty and the Reserves as an Aviation officer flying helicopters and as a leadership development instructor.
Some of my assignments include The Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, The Bahamas, and The United States Military Academy at West Point.
I have also spent a dozen years in Fortune 100 companies focusing on strategic planning and talent development.
My experiences have taught me the value of teams, the importance of communication, and the necessity of truly knowing people and what’s important to them.
My Journey
There are three distinct moments in my life that have taught me the value of financial literacy, financial planning, and working with a financial advisor.
The first was in college. Up until that point my parents ran a small business and, while it provided for us, they weren’t able to save for their own future. An ROTC instructor gave me a book called “The Wealthy Barber” which talked about “paying yourself 10% first.” That was a simple and valuable lesson.
The second moment I realized the importance of financial planning was February 2016 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Thankfully, I had met with a Northwestern Mutual advisor just two years prior and secured life insurance for my family. I called my advisor the day after my diagnosis and he reassured me that everything was in order, and I could just focus on treatment.
Finally, when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s I was able to work with my financial advisor to sort through her finances and ensure her long-term care needs were met.
I experienced firsthand the financial strength of Northwestern Mutual, with their focus on planning before solutions while prioritizing protection and growth.
Personal Life
I met my wife, Sarah, three weeks before 9/11, thanks to a friend’s introduction. Our first encounter involved a minor car accident—let’s just say I made a memorable first impression! Despite that, we quickly hit it off and have been together ever since.
Sarah is an Occupational Therapist and percussionist. We have two wonderful children: Owen, who enjoys soccer and playing the trumpet, and Maya, who loves theater and plays the saxophone. Our family dog, Koda , completes our happy household.
In our spare time, we enjoy fitness, travel, spending time with extended family, making the most of our moments together.
Values
Service -- Respect -- Gratitude -- Growth
Credentials
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
Colorado State University
Master of Arts, Social-Organizational Psychology
Columbia University
Lending a hand in my community.
As part of Northwestern Mutual, I'm proud to help accelerate the search for better childhood cancer treatments while supporting families undergoing treatment, and survivors from late effects. Here are some of the organizations we partner with:
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
As a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma, I have supported LLS since 2016. The mission of LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
ALSF funds cancer research, raises awareness, and supports the families of children with cancer. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual, its employees, and financial professionals like me have donated more than $20 million to support ALSF and fund over 400,000 research hours.
How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.
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.
