Northern Michigan University alumna Beth Rodenhuis was recently appointed by as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and business architect at Northwestern Mutual, a financial security company based in Milwaukee. She is responsible for technology and digital strategy with oversight of strategic execution and prioritization of the company's strategy, platform and operating model design, technology health and enterprise architecture.
According to a press release, Rodenhuis reports to Northwestern Mutual chairman, president and CEO Tim Gerend and is part of the company's senior leadership team.
"Beth's strong business acumen, leadership in financial services and deep understanding of Northwestern Mutual's business will be additive to the executive team as we collectively accelerate progress of our business strategy," said Gerend in the press release. "She brings demonstrated success in bringing together business and technology teams to improve the advisor and client experiences, which will be beneficial as we continue to provide financial security through trusted advisors and a comprehensive planning approach that brings together insurance and investments."
After obtaining a bachelor's degree in economics and English from NMU and a juris doctor from Marquette University Law School, Rodhenhuis gained more than a decade of prior experience at Northwestern Mutual. She most recently served as senior vice president and head of global digital products and capabilities of Capital Group, a fund manager with more than $3.0 trillion in equity and fixed income assets.
From 2005 through 2019, she held multiple leadership roles at Northwestern Mutual in numerous capacities, including internal audit, corporate planning, distribution strategy, and finance and as chief transformation officer. During her time as CIO, she led enterprise-wide strategy and transformation, including increasing advisor capabilities through new processes, platforms and training.