
Putting
people first.
Get to know our leadership team
Leadership at the West Los Angeles office is dedicated to doing good for our clients, employees and community.

Juan is energized by his leadership roles and has consistently set a standard for excellence in his own practice and beyond. Currently, Juan retains his responsibilities as the Managing Director of the West Los Angeles office while serving as the Chief Development Officer for the network office at large, which...
Juan is energized by his leadership roles and has consistently set a standard for excellence in his own practice and beyond. Currently, Juan retains his responsibilities as the Managing Director of the West Los Angeles office while serving as the Chief Development Officer for the network office at large, which includes offices in Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Irvine, Las Vegas, and Manhattan Beach. As the CDO, Juan manages the horizontal growth of the network office through recruiting and selection, leadership development, college marketing, and early financial representative productivity. Juan is a sought-after speaker both industrywide and nationwide. His professional successes can be measured by the impact he has had and continues to have on his clients’ lives as well as those of the financial advisors in his firm. Under his leadership, Northwestern Mutual-West Los Angeles has been named one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal every year since 2016.

Lauren Brooks
Director of Career Development
Lauren enjoys meeting new people and fostering relationships, both professionally and personally. As the Director of Career Development for Northwestern Mutual - West Los Angeles, Lauren focuses on inspiring talented, driven individuals, who are looking to make a change to join our firm and build successful businesses...
Lauren enjoys meeting new people and fostering relationships, both professionally and personally. As the Director of Career Development for Northwestern Mutual - West Los Angeles, Lauren focuses on inspiring talented, driven individuals, who are looking to make a change to join our firm and build successful businesses at a Fortune 100 company. Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Lauren served as the Commercial Operations and Sales Enablement Manager for Millennium Health. She managed a top medical sales team and worked alongside the CEO and Board of Directors to develop both the operational and sales strategies. She then became a Sales Manager for Simpleshow, where she was responsible for client acquisition and revenue from Fortune 500 companies in eight states. Lauren grew up in Sarasota, Florida and attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned her Bachelors in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication. Contact Lauren at 310.903.5091 or lauren.brooks@nm.com.

My mission is to empower, educate and shift the general mindset around money from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. I hope to develop life-long and meaningful relationships with my clients, helping them to identify and achieve their goals and dreams through comprehensive financial planning that gets them to...
My mission is to empower, educate and shift the general mindset around money from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. I hope to develop life-long and meaningful relationships with my clients, helping them to identify and achieve their goals and dreams through comprehensive financial planning that gets them to the path of financial security.
Brianna Means

Craig started his career with Northwestern Mutual in 1986 as an Intern, after graduating from Illinois State University. Utilizing the 30+ years of experience gained as a financial advisor and leader, Craig, became the Managing Director of the Walnut Creek and Redwood City offices of the San Francisco Bay Area...
Craig started his career with Northwestern Mutual in 1986 as an Intern, after graduating from Illinois State University. Utilizing the 30+ years of experience gained as a financial advisor and leader, Craig, became the Managing Director of the Walnut Creek and Redwood City offices of the San Francisco Bay Area Group. Craig is also on the Board of Advisors for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Aristea Simvoulakis
Director of Career Development
Aristea began her career at Northwestern Mutual in August of 2013. She’s worked in all aspects of recruiting and development. She spent the first four years focusing on the internship program and has spent the past four plus years working with career changers. As the Director of Career Development with the West...
Aristea began her career at Northwestern Mutual in August of 2013. She’s worked in all aspects of recruiting and development. She spent the first four years focusing on the internship program and has spent the past four plus years working with career changers. As the Director of Career Development with the West Los Angeles office, she partners with our leadership team to identify top, local talent who will align with our high expectations culture and continue to elevate our firm. At the 2019 annual meeting, she was awarded Recruiter of the Year for recruiting the highest number of diverse candidates! She holds her California Life & Health Insurance License. She attended CSU, Fullerton where she received her BA in Business Finance. She’s a native to Northern California and on her days off enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and traveling the world!