What is Northwestern Mutual's Policyowners' Examining Committee?

Each year since 1907, Northwestern Mutual has invited a small group of our policyowners, selected for appropriate skill sets and expertise, to evaluate firsthand our operations and business practices — independently and without restrictions.

The POEC was established to provide customers with greater representation and to remain accountable to policyowners. Each year, the members of the POEC make an independent and completely unrestricted evaluation of the company's business operations, management and strategic plans.

Unique in corporate America, this group has free rein to look at every aspect of what we do, sifting through financials, reviewing the strategic plan, questioning corporate structure and analyzing management performance. It also provides suggestions for improvement, and challenges management in new ways.

The Committee typically spends five days at our Milwaukee headquarters, spread over two visits in the fall. Their report is made orally to the Board of Trustees, and is published in Northwestern Mutual's Annual Report, which is sent to each of our more than 3 million policyowners.

Download the 2007 Policyowners' Examining Committee Report pdf (163k)