Northwestern Mutual Receives InfoWorld Enterprise Architecture Award

Company praised for advancing business strategy through innovative technology management

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Oct 08, 2012, 10:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual today announced it has received the 2012 InfoWorld Enterprise Architecture Award for the company's innovative approach to marrying its overall business and technology strategies – a move that has generated millions of dollars in business benefits.

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The prestigious information technology award – presented by InfoWorld and Forrester Research Inc. in collaboration with the Penn State University Center for Enterprise Architecture – recognizes Northwestern Mutual's enterprise architecture practices for delivering substantial business benefits.

According to Karl Gouverneur, vice president and chief technology architect for Northwestern Mutual, this accolade validates the company's client focused approach to investing in technology.

"As a mutual company, we make decisions about technology the same way we do for all other aspects of our business. We concentrate on delivering long-term value by doing what's right for our policyowners and clients," said Gouverneur. "Technology touches every area of our business and we work together as an organization to manage it thoughtfully and collectively."

InfoWorld and Forrester's award selection committee highlighted the company's collaborative approach to aligning its business strategy with its technology investments. The panel of enterprise architecture leaders from across the world gave Northwestern Mutual top marks for creating, "an architecture review board that includes non-IT senior leaders." It also praised the review board's simple but effective approach to "create a coalition, paint a picture of change, create a plan and execute."

In addition, Northwestern Mutual's innovative technology management practices have increased technology project results, reduced risk and shortened the annual enterprise architecture planning process from a four-to-six month timeframe to just two-to-three weeks.

About Northwestern Mutual

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) – among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2012 according to FORTUNE® magazine – has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.