Northwestern Mutual: Appoints Laura Deaner to Chief Information Security Officer

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Northwestern Mutual today announced the appointment of Laura Deaner to Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), where she will lead the Enterprise Information Risk & Cybersecurity team and be responsible for spearheading Northwestern Mutual’s information security strategy.

“Information security, risk management, and protecting information continues to be a top priority and allows us to deepen our relationships with clients, financial representatives, and employees,” said Neal Sample, Chief Information Officer, Northwestern Mutual. “Laura’s information security experience, technical skillset, and leadership within the cybersecurity industry positions her to advance our security strategy, while continuing our focus on securing our data and protecting clients’ personal information.”

Deaner has more than 21 years of experience working in cybersecurity for multi-national Fortune 500 companies to build effective and robust information security programs by aligning deep technical expertise with executive business vision and support. Her expertise includes risk management, data security, regulatory compliance, incident response, data integrity, and information security in multiple industries, including financial services and media. Most recently, Laura served as the CISO at S&P Global. Prior to that, she held numerous leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and PR Newswire. She previously served as the co-chair of the Global Futures Council at the World Economic Forum.

Deaner holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Old Dominion University. She is also a member of several information security and technology societies including OWASP, WiCyS, ISC2, and Society of Women Engineers (SWE). She currently serves as a Board member for the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC). 

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a holistic 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 $290.3 billion in total assets, $29.9 billion in revenues, and $1.9 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.6 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages more than $161 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 102 on the 2020 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2021.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM)(life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries in Milwaukee, WI. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company.