ACG WI: Outstanding Corporate Growth and Leadership Awards 2021

John Schlifske is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Mutual. He is also a member of the company’s Board of Trustees.

After joining Northwestern Mutual in 1987 as an investment specialist, Schlifske moved from portfolio manager to senior executive overseeing a variety of the company’s investment operations. He later headed different parts of the company’s business operations.

Schlifske is a director on the board of Kohl’s Corporation. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the American Council of Life Insurers. 

Schlifske is an active and dedicated industry leader, and was recognized as a CEO of the Year for Diversity and Inclusion at the 2021 National Diversity and Leadership conference. 

In the greater Milwaukee community, Schlifske serves on the boards of Froedtert and Community Health, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. 

A Milwaukee-area native, Schlifske received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton College and a master’s degree in finance and accounting from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is married to Kim, and they have six children.

Tim Hanley, Bus Ad ’78, is the acting Keyes Dean of the College of Business Administration. Hanley received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the College of Business Administration and that same year began his career at Arthur Andersen, serving as an audit partner for many of the largest manufacturers in Wisconsin.

Recently, Hanley retired as a senior partner with Deloitte LLP. Hanley is a seasoned global executive, with extensive experience consulting with manufacturers regarding digital transformation, organizational strategy development and execution, acquisitions and market development. Under his leadership, Deloitte’s Global Consumer and Industrial Products practice grew to be the largest at Deloitte, with over $14 billion in revenues.

Hanley is also an Audit Committee Financial Expert and has significant experience both in the board room and with audit committees. He has deep experience in establishing strong, trusting relationships with C-level executives and board members, advising them on global business issues and helping implement organizational change. He also has spent significant time over the past decade working overseas and has a strong understanding of markets throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. Hanley has been a frequent speaker at many international venues and is consulted often on the topic of digital transformation and its implications across the manufacturing industry.

Hanley has also served at Marquette as a longtime member of the College of Business Administration Dean’s Advisory Council, as a member of the university’s President’s Advisory Council, and on the Campaign Executive Committee. In October of 2019, Hanley became the college’s first ever executive-in-residence. Hanley was recognized in 2012 as the College of Business Administration’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year.