Putting
people first.
Get to know our leadership team
Leadership at the Downers Grove office is dedicated to doing good for our clients, employees and community.
Ryan Kramer
CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®
Managing Partner
Ryan began his career with Northwestern Mutual as a college intern in 1997. In the spring of 1998. he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing from Illinois State University. Throughout his time at Northwestern Mutual, Ryan has held roles in each level of the leadership track, gaining rich experience at every capacity...
Ryan began his career with Northwestern Mutual as a college intern in 1997. In the spring of 1998. he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing from Illinois State University. Throughout his time at Northwestern Mutual, Ryan has held roles in each level of the leadership track, gaining rich experience at every capacity of the business. On June 1st, 2015, Ryan became the Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland. He currently oversees all five of our office locations and leads the team of advisors in Downers Grove. Ryan lives in Elmhurst, IL with his wife, Jennifer and three children, Kasen, Kinsley, and Kadence. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and giving back to his community.
Scott began his career with Northwestern Mutual as a college representative in 1984 while attending ISU. After graduating with a B.S. Degree in Marketing, he joined full time and in 1987 became the Managing Director in Schaumburg. Scott has two adult children, Megan and Matt. Besides spending time with family,...
Scott began his career with Northwestern Mutual as a college representative in 1984 while attending ISU. After graduating with a B.S. Degree in Marketing, he joined full time and in 1987 became the Managing Director in Schaumburg. Scott has two adult children, Megan and Matt. Besides spending time with family, Scott enjoys golf and travel.
In 2001, Trent began his career as a College Financial Representative while attending the University of Northern Iowa. He graduated in 2002 with a BS in Finance and moved to Chicagoland to begin his full-time career as a Financial Representative. Trent’s vision is to maintain a balance of impacting lives through...
In 2001, Trent began his career as a College Financial Representative while attending the University of Northern Iowa. He graduated in 2002 with a BS in Finance and moved to Chicagoland to begin his full-time career as a Financial Representative. Trent’s vision is to maintain a balance of impacting lives through his own practice, while consistently bringing in new talent to represent the company and community that we serve. Trent is married to Shea and they reside in Park Ridge, IL with their three daughters, Reece, Claire, and Lauren. They are avid golfers, boaters, and travelers.
Jason is a proud Chicagoan and Illinois State University grad, husband and dad to 2 boys. his mission is to help individuals, families, and business owners achieve financial security. He aims to become a trusted professional to his clients and live at the center of their lives. Jason's promise is to always do...
Jason is a proud Chicagoan and Illinois State University grad, husband and dad to 2 boys. his mission is to help individuals, families, and business owners achieve financial security. He aims to become a trusted professional to his clients and live at the center of their lives. Jason's promise is to always do the right thing and live with no regrets while impacting people’s lives.
Throughout his tenure, he has held a variety of leadership roles and now leads the Barrington District Office. One of Kevin's main functions as a leader is to grow the Barrington team by assisting in the recruitment, mentorship, and support of new and existing representatives. In 2017, Kevin married his wife Kelly...
Throughout his tenure, he has held a variety of leadership roles and now leads the Barrington District Office. One of Kevin's main functions as a leader is to grow the Barrington team by assisting in the recruitment, mentorship, and support of new and existing representatives. In 2017, Kevin married his wife Kelly and they live in Palatine, Illinois. Their two children, Bridget and Daniel, keep them busy! Family is what matters most to Kevin and in his spare time, he enjoys spending quality time with them. You can also find him enjoying a day on the golf course with friends or on the water at his family's lake house.
Gregory Paetow
Chief Financial Officer
Jason (Gregory) oversees all financial activity at Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland. He is a licensed CPA. He resides in Naperville with his wife Rachel with their two kids, Graham and Peyton. He enjoys running in his free time and collecting baseball rookie cards.
Lori Ham
CMP, CLF®
Chief Marketing Officer
Lori has worked with Northwestern Mutual for over 20 years. During her tenure, she has held a variety of roles: Human Resources, Marketing, Events, and Philanthropy. She is passionate about our unique planning process, our firm's culture, and the impact we have in the community. As part of her volunteer efforts,...
Lori has worked with Northwestern Mutual for over 20 years. During her tenure, she has held a variety of roles: Human Resources, Marketing, Events, and Philanthropy. She is passionate about our unique planning process, our firm's culture, and the impact we have in the community. As part of her volunteer efforts, she is involved with the following charitable organizations: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Feed My Starving Children and Ready, Set, Ride. Lori is a proud wife to John and mother to Julia and Brianna.
Anna Nelis
Chief Supervision Officer
Anna navigates the regulatory landscape by creating supervision awareness, promoting growth, building relationships, and providing guidance with an emphasis on risk management.
Rebecca Eilers
Chief of Staff
As Chief of staff, Rebecca leads and manages the accountability of EOS process and executes special projects for our four Chicagoland offices. Ultimately, her goal is to ensure smooth operations within our firm to aide in the growth and success of advisors and teams. Rebecca graduated from the University of Illinois...
As Chief of staff, Rebecca leads and manages the accountability of EOS process and executes special projects for our four Chicagoland offices. Ultimately, her goal is to ensure smooth operations within our firm to aide in the growth and success of advisors and teams. Rebecca graduated from the University of Illinois in 2015 and began her career in both retail and third party staffing, which lead to her competitive drive and love for recruiting. She currently lives in Lincoln Park and on the weekends you can find her exploring the city with friends.
Richard Horner
Director of Strategic Development
As the Director of Strategic Development, Rich partners with veteran advisor teams to advance their business, refine their strategy, and implement tactics for long-term success.
Shelly Dodge
Director of Internship Development
As the Director of Internship Development, Shelly's mission is to coach and lead students during their Financial Representative Internship. Ultimately her goal is to impact the community through service and leadership. Shelly plays an integral role in developing the next generation of leaders at Northwestern...
As the Director of Internship Development, Shelly's mission is to coach and lead students during their Financial Representative Internship. Ultimately her goal is to impact the community through service and leadership. Shelly plays an integral role in developing the next generation of leaders at Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland. She has a passion for helping students grow personally and professionally by instilling our core values of abundance, integrity, loyalty, growth, and culture. Shelly lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband, Brad, and their two cats, Maurice and Luna.
Kimberly Hargis
Development Coordinator
Kim is instrumental in the onboarding of representatives joining our firm. She helps acclimate them to their new role in financial services. She is also active in the reporting of data to ensure they are staying on track to reach their goals. Kim attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where she received...
Kim is instrumental in the onboarding of representatives joining our firm. She helps acclimate them to their new role in financial services. She is also active in the reporting of data to ensure they are staying on track to reach their goals. Kim attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where she received her Bachelors In Education and Human Services. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts and Broadway musicals as well as traveling and trying new restaurants.
Elena Salvi
Recruiter
As a recruiter, Elena enjoys making an impact in people’s lives and helping them achieve their goals. She makes connections with candidates to find successful and authentic individuals who share the same mission of setting up clients to achieve their financial and personal goals. While her parents were born...
As a recruiter, Elena enjoys making an impact in people’s lives and helping them achieve their goals. She makes connections with candidates to find successful and authentic individuals who share the same mission of setting up clients to achieve their financial and personal goals. While her parents were born and raised in Greece, Elena is local to the Chicagoland area, having grown up in a tight knit Greek community in Palos Hills/Orland Park, IL. She now resides in Wheaton, IL with her husband, David, and their two boys Leonardo & Michelangelo. She is a certified yoga instructor, an avid runner, and loves to travel Europe with her family, specifically Italy & Greece.
Tierra Weisinger
Recruiter
Tierra graduated from Colorado Technical University with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city and local bookstores. Currently, she resides in Lombard with her daughter and kitten Karma!
Tracey Daniels
Recruiter
Tracey first began her career as an Associate Financial Representative in 2012 and returned home to NM Chicagoland in 2023 as the District Recruiter. She is on a mission to help professionals find a place where they are supported in creating a lifelong career. She is looking to connect with individuals who are...
Tracey first began her career as an Associate Financial Representative in 2012 and returned home to NM Chicagoland in 2023 as the District Recruiter. She is on a mission to help professionals find a place where they are supported in creating a lifelong career. She is looking to connect with individuals who are motivated and passionate about growing a business that will impact the lives of others. She was born and raised in Woodridge, IL, and she now lives in Shelby, Twp., MI. Tracey attended Michigan State University (Go Green!) and studied Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. In her free time, you can find her on the ice as she grew up figure skating and loves to give back to her skating community. Tracey also enjoys country concerts and boating with her boyfriend Nick, daughter Nina, and her 90 lbs. fur baby, Bubba!
Madeline Clark
Campus Recruiter
As a Campus Recruiter for Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland, Maddie oversees the selection process for students who are eager to discover what a career in financial services entails. She aims to connect with driven self-starters. Maddie graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.A. in Psychology. She calls...
As a Campus Recruiter for Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland, Maddie oversees the selection process for students who are eager to discover what a career in financial services entails. She aims to connect with driven self-starters. Maddie graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.A. in Psychology. She calls Elgin, IL home with her family and Goldendoodle, Ivy. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, and trying new restaurants.
As the former Director of Training and Development at Northwestern Mutual, Dan had the opportunity to help new financial advisors build a solid foundation in risk management, wealth accumulation, and wealth distribution. But his true passion lies in financial planning, which is why he transitioned to become a...
As the former Director of Training and Development at Northwestern Mutual, Dan had the opportunity to help new financial advisors build a solid foundation in risk management, wealth accumulation, and wealth distribution. But his true passion lies in financial planning, which is why he transitioned to become a Financial Planner in 2024. He still holds a leadership role supporting financial representatives new to the business. He has been married to his wife, Sara, for almost 20 years and has three children. They are active in their local church and have lived in the south suburbs of Chicago since 2006.
Luke impacts our firm in two ways: providing financial security to his clients and is a Field Director on our leadership team.
Eric is a Field Director and Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland. In his role on the leadership team, Eric aids in the growth, and development of financial representatives. Eric is a proud husband to Cathy and father to his sons, Aiden and Anderson. He currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago...
Eric is a Field Director and Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland. In his role on the leadership team, Eric aids in the growth, and development of financial representatives. Eric is a proud husband to Cathy and father to his sons, Aiden and Anderson. He currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with his family. Eric is also fluent in Korean and participates in Korean networking groups.