King of Prussia, PA, Oct. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American College of Financial Services announced today that Todd M. Schoon JD, CLU®, ChFC®, former Executive Vice President – Agencies at Northwestern Mutual, is the recipient of the 2020 Solomon S. Huebner Gold Medal in recognition of his leadership in the financial services profession and dedication to furthering the mission of The College. The Huebner Gold Medal is The College’s highest honor and will be presented during the annual President’s Dinner on November 5, 2020, this year being held virtually.
“Todd is an inspirational leader and his efforts on behalf of The College combined with contributions to our profession over the course of his career make him more than deserving of this distinctive honor,” says George Nichols III, President and CEO of The American College of Financial Services. “The College was founded almost a century ago with the mission of enhancing professionalism in financial services and Todd embodies that mission every day.”
Throughout his career, Schoon has been an unwavering advocate for the unique role played by The College as the nation’s largest non-profit institution dedicated to the financial services profession. He earned the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) designation in 1994, his Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation in 1995, and served as a board member on The College's Board of Trustees for 12 years, serving as board chair from 2010-2012. He made such an impact at The College that in 2018 he was appointed the interim President and CEO and was part of the team responsible for recruiting and hiring George Nichols III. He is currently serving The College as the Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President.
“It is such an honor to be receiving this esteemed accolade from The American College of Financial Services, an institution that means so much to our profession and me personally,” says Schoon. “Education has been a theme woven throughout my life. It’s been gratifying to see the great strides The College has taken over the years and it’s exciting to be a part of all of the good things happening as we move into the future.”
One of the first lessons instilled in Schoon growing up in small-town Iowa was the value of education. “My grandparents gave me and my older brothers a silver dollar for every ‘A’ we received,” he says. “They knew the importance of education and they wanted to impart that in us too. My siblings and I were the first in our family to attend college and the three of us went on to earn Master degrees as well.”
Before finding and following his passion of leadership, Schoon began his 30-year career with Northwestern Mutual in Chicago, IL. He was fortunate to join the organization built by O. Alfred Granum, CLU®, insurance industry legend and 2003 Huebner Gold Medal recipient. When Granum retired, William H. Beckley, CLU®, ChFC®, MSFS, former College Board of Trustees member and 2007 Huebner Gold Medal recipient, succeeded him as Managing Partner and became Schoon’s mentor. Under his mentorship, Schoon was introduced to The College. “Bill instilled in me, ‘continued growth and education will always benefit you,’ reinforcing my life-long theme of continuing education,” says Schoon. “He also taught me that good leadership is hard to come by and my greatest career opportunities were down that path.”
Ten years later, Schoon was appointed Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual’s New York City office where he led the firm from the bottom 10% to the top 10% in recruiting and developing new financial representatives. In June 2006, Schoon was recruited to the corporate office in Milwaukee, WI where he went on to lead the company’s exclusive distribution system.
In 2016, Schoon came to The College as a loaned executive of Northwestern Mutual as a way to give back to the profession. His initial focus was on the proposed U.S. Department of Labor ruling and its impact on the industry. In addition, he worked on marketing and distribution and developed education and training to aid advisors in delivering goal-based, holistic planning.
Schoon is a member of the Board of Directors for OneAmerica based in Indianapolis, IN. In his community, he is a board member for the University School of Milwaukee. He holds a B.A. in finance and a J.D. in law from the University of Iowa. He, his wife Jen, and their two teenage children reside in Milwaukee, WI.
Since 1975, the Huebner Gold Medal has been awarded annually to honor the special individuals whose support of The College and its programs, and whose dedication to education and professionalism, have been of particular meaning to the mission and progress of the institution. The award is named after Dr. Solomon S. Huebner, architect of the modern financial services industry, who founded The American College in 1927.
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers two master’s degrees in management and financial services, along with prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®), Chartered Special Needs Consultant® (ChSNC®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification. The College’s faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in the financial services profession. Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
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