Dive Brief:
- Financial services firm Northwestern Mutual will revamp its technology leadership, moving EVP and CIO Jeff Sippel into the chief strategy officer role effective July 1, the company said Friday.
- Christian Mitchell, a nearly two-decade veteran at Northwestern who most recently served as chief customer and digital officer, will become chief digital and information officer. In the new role, Mitchell will lead the company’s technology and digital strategy, including AI capabilities, data engineering, infrastructure and cybersecurity.
- The leadership updates reflect a sharpened focus on key business priorities, including a strong digital experience, said Chairman and CEO John Schlifske, in the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Tech leadership changes at Northwestern Mutual come nearly six months after the company announced a year-long CEO transition plan.
In January, the company announced Schlifske would retire at the end of the year and would be replaced by former EVP and Chief Distribution Officer Tim Gerend, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Northwestern Mutual, a privately held company, reported $36 billion in revenue in 2023, up nearly 3% year over year. The company credited its proprietary digital platform as a boost to customer experience and efficiency last year.
Sippel, who joined the company in 2019 as VP of client experience, became the firm’s CIO in 2022. A former software developer, Sippel told CIO Dive last year that hands-on experience in a technical role helped manage large projects effectively.
Incoming chief digital and information officer Christian Mitchell.
Permission granted by Northwestern Mutual.
“I realized that I was pretty good at explaining technology to the business teams, and business to the technology team,” Sippel said in June 2023. “Ever since, I’ve sat in the middle between those groups.”
The executive’s new role will include oversight over marketing, innovation, venture funds, analytics and strategic investments.
Mitchell, in turn, will be tasked with accelerating the company’s digital products and delivery, working on foundational tech capabilities to enable business strategy through tech.
