Stewart Network Office seeks driven individuals who want to build own
business with support from seasoned mentors and award-winning training

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 19, 2025 – The Stewart Network Office of Northwestern Mutual announced today that it is looking to recruit 50 financial advisors[i], representatives and interns in the Portland area, helping to extend the Portland metropolitan area’s growth rate, which outpaced the state’s overall rate in 2024. This includes 30 new professionals in the Portland office and 20 in the Lake Oswego office. As part of Northwestern Mutual's broader nationwide effort to attract more than 5,000 new employees in 2025, the Stewart Network Office is targeting the addition of 187 financial advisors, over 100 interns, across its entire network this year.

“The rebound in Portland’s job market over the past couple of years increases the need for more financial professionals who can support Portlanders achieving financial security. At Northwestern Mutual Portland, our primary goal is to ensure our clients can focus on what matters most with the people who matter most, with our advisors by their side every step of the way,” said Ashley Hedum, Managing Director of Northwestern Mutual Portland. “This recruitment initiative will increase our overall size but also allow us to provide more members of our community with the knowledge and tools to build a financially secure future.”

Northwestern Mutual’s mission is to help Americans build financial security by helping them to build comprehensive financial plans combining both risk management and wealth management. The leading financial services company also expects to award its policy owners $8.2 billion[ii] in insurance dividends in 2025 – which is nearly triple the size of its top competitor and surpasses the company’s 2024 payout by more than $800 million.

A growing need for thoughtful, trusted advice as many advisors plan to retire 

The need for financial advice – and financial advisors – is growing. More than 100 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured (according to LIMRA), and according to Northwestern Mutual’s research, the gap between people’s retirement goals and savings is widening. On average, Americans believe that they will need to save $1.46 million to retire comfortably but have just a fraction that amount saved – according to Northwestern Mutual’s Planning & Progress Study. The research also found a record 33% of Americans saying they felt financially insecure and 64% of Americans working with an advisor said they felt financially secure, compared to just 29% without an advisor. In Portland specifically, 42% of residents said they feel like they are ‘just getting by’ or have difficulty getting by financially.

Additionally, a 2024 research report from Cerulli Associates found that financial advisors are retiring at a faster pace than they’re being recruited and developed. The firm predicts that 109,000 financial advisors in the U.S. will retire over the next 10 years, representing nearly 40% of all advisors in the U.S. 

Work/life independence and nationally recognized training and development program 

Successful Northwestern Mutual advisors come from a wide variety of career backgrounds. In fact, many of the company’s best financial advisors came from outside of finance. Northwestern Mutual provides award-winning training, professional development and mentoring to help ensure each new advisor’s success. 

Financial advisors are independent contractors running their own businesses and organizing their own schedules. That said, they’re never “by themselves.” Northwestern Mutual’s leaders in each local office provide continued coaching and guidance to help them build new careers.   

“In our network, we’re continuing to develop an inclusive culture where everyone can bring their best self to the workplace and realize their individual potential,” said Hedum. “We support our team every step of the way and train them to create tailored financial plans for our clients so that they are prepared for whatever life brings them.”

Northwestern Mutual also has an award-winning college representative program. As interns, college students can help others build financial security while also building professional skills. Many of the company’s most successful local leaders – including managing partners and managing directors – started out as financial representative interns years ago.  

Outside of the Portland metropolitan area, the Stewart Network Office also has offices in Salem and Bend with recruitment goals of 18 and 15, respectively. In the San Diego area, the Stewart Network Office looks to hire 40 new professionals in the downtown office, 25 in the La Jolla office, 20 in the Carlsbad office and 17 in the Scripps Ranch office.

All prospective candidates, including career-changers, who are highly motivated and driven to have a positive impact on clients are encouraged to apply. More information can be found at: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/office/or/portland/87822542/. 

About Northwestern Mutual  

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With nearly $700 billion of total assets[iii]being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than $38 billion in revenues, and $2.4 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 110 on the 2024 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2025.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

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