Discover your Potential
Since 1857, Northwestern Mutual has been helping people protect against financial risk and achieve financial security. Managing Partner, John Van Der Hyde and The Virginia Group are proud to be part of that tradition with offices in Richmond and Charlottesville.
John Van Der Hyde, Managing Partner
The ambition of Managing Partner, John Van Der Hyde is to make a positive impact on all associates and their clientele by creating an environment of desire, confidence, consistency, and positive results. Education, motivation, and empowerment are the tools by which this office enables its associates to envision and fulfill a successful future to better serve its clients.
With 119 representatives, The Virginia Groupis a strong, growing business as evidenced by its most recent financial highlights.
The mission of John Van Der Hyde and The Virginia Group is to provide its clients with expert guidance and innovative solutions that are right for each client. Whether focused on personal finances, business needs or both, they help clients understand their financial goals and ensure they are providing them with the right guidance and products to meet their needs.
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network brings together the skills of representatives, the expertise of advisors and the technical know-how of a number of financial specialists to provide solutions for clients' financial goals and help you gain access to the products and services of a wide variety of organizations—each of which has a comprehensive understanding of a specific aspect of financial services.
And through The Network and The Virginia Group, here are just a few of the products and services available to your clients:
Our Expertise
Just as your clients trust and rely on you to provide needs analysis and innovative solutions, you can trust and rely on John Van Der Hyde, The Virginia Group and the Network to provide sound products and services for your clients.
You might conclude that no one person can be an expert in all financial matters. We agree. That's why we provide you and your clients with access to a nationwide network of representatives, advisors and specialists who will work with you to provide a full range of services.
Diversity
At The Virginia Group, we are committed to reflecting our community and seek talented individuals who share our core values. As part of our overall growth strategy, we are committed to building and fostering a diverse organization of network representatives and specialists. We do so without regard to gender, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age.
We take pride in our unique strengths and the expertise we share with our clients. Our entire community can benefit from our expertise and can be rewarded with the advantages of the careers we offer. We will continue to be committed to reaching all segments of our community in which we live and conduct business.
Meet Managing Partner, John Van Der Hyde
John Van Der Hyde was appointed the sixth Managing Partner of The Virginia Group in 1988.
John has been associated with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Richmond since 1986. He started his career as a financial representative soon after graduating from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Biology.
He has served as a field director since 1994 and was responsible for assisting in the recruitment and selection process of candidates in order to build a cohesive unit of productive full-time Financial Representatives.
In 1996 and 1997, John Van Der Hyde was awarded the honor of being the number two field director in the Eastern Regional of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.
Throughout his career as a Financial Representative, John Van Der Hyde earned many awards including MDRT since 1989, Court of the Table in 1995, 1996, and 1999. Top 50 in premium in the East in 1995, 1996 and 1997. John was also the 1996 recipient of his agency’s most prestigious award, the Howard D. Goldman Award. His career production exceeds $100,000,000.
John was appointed the sixth Managing Partner of The Virginia Group in May 1998. John expects his group to surpass the “First Billion” in paid-for life insurance. The Virginia Group has more than $7.3 billion of life insurance in force.
In 1999, The Virginia Group was awarded: First Place-Category II-Number of Full Time Recruits, First Place Overall Retention Rate of Agents, Second Place General Agent Achievement Award, and the General Agent Growth Award. In the 1999 New Agent categories, the group finished 2nd in Pacesetter First Forty qualifiers with 4. The group finished in the Top 10 in premium production of the under 5 year representatives.
The Virginia Group began with 43 full-time representatives in 1998 and now totals 119 full-time representatives.
An Opportunity to Succeed
Successful financial representatives with The Virginia Group experience tremendous pride and satisfaction in building a practice from the ground up. Their success is not a factor of luck or chance; it's the result of a productive work ethic, strong relationship skills and a level of professionalism second to none. A mission of doing what's right for our clients is the thread that weaves together our organization.
The goal is not to simply sell products, but to discover clients' needs and help to meet them. That means taking the time to understand each person's financial situation, values and goals.
This career offers:
The ability to meet new people and positively impact families, businesses and communities as you help to achieve their goals and dreams
An entrepreneurial opportunity to own your own business
A high degree of support and training, plus ongoing curriculum for educational growth and personal development
The flexibility of a career that allows you to focus on things of importance to you
Earnings where you are directly rewarded for your efforts
A strong team culture and the opportunity to work with a variety of specialists and advisors
Exclusive access to a variety of world-class solutions and services, including life insurance from Northwestern Mutual
Leadership and development opportunities
Your Development
You'll have assistance in developing your business and marketing plans, extensive training and coaching from certified trainers.
New representatives receive initial industry and sales training as well as mentoring and joint work programs for hands-on experience. They have access to on-line education resources for polishing skills and keeping up to date on industry information as well as exposure to opportunities for ongoing career education and advanced professional designations to increase their knowledge and reputation.
Your Business
We know that building your own business is difficult without help. As a financial representative with The Virginia Group, you will be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. The Virginia Group will provide you with support in your training and development, so you don't have to do it alone.
We take pride in our unique strengths and the expertise we share with our clients. Our communities can benefit from our expertise and can be rewarded with the advantages of the careers offered through the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.
If you're ready to be your own boss, set your own hours and make a positive impact on people's lives everyday, then turn your dreams into reality and find out what a career as a Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Representative with The Virginia Group can do for you.
The Benefits of Your Success
Your career as a financial representative is what you make of it. You have the freedom to balance your hard work and determination with your personal goals. In the beginning of your career, it takes a tremendous amount of time, energy and commitment to earn the flexibility and financial rewards you will enjoy later on. You can achieve financial independence and have a positive impact on your clients, your family and your own community.
Income
A financial representative's income potential is virtually unlimited. Earnings are directly related to sales results and client relationships. Financial representatives are compensated through commissions, renewals and bonuses.
Our top producer group, The Forum, had a median gross income of over $410,800 in 2004.
First-year, average gross income during 2002-2004 for financial representatives ranged from $38,900 to $83,900.
Benefit Package
Whether you are single or married with a family, Northwestern Mutual's benefit package will address the various stages of a full-time financial representative's life. These benefits include: Comprehensive Medical Coverage, Retirement, Flex Programs, Childcare/Eldercare, Maternity Leave, Group Life and Accidental Death Benefit, Disability Income Insurance. Your local network office can provide additional information.
Lifestyle
When you invest the time and hard work necessary to build a successful practice as a financial representative, you can enjoy the rare and envied reward of balancing work with your personal goals. You can arrange your schedule so you may have three or four appointments a day, and still have time to participate in your children's school programs, community involvement or leisure-time activities.
Build a business that allows you to schedule meetings to accommodate your clients' schedules and your own.
Impact
The goal of the Network is not to simply sell products, but to discover clients' needs and provide solutions to meet them. That means taking the time to understand each person's financial situation, values and goals. Every solution you implement may help secure the financial future of your clients, their families, their businesses and your community.
You can experience the rewards of a career in which you can have a daily, positive impact on people's lives, including your own.
Meet some of the members of our Team
Successful financial representatives with The Virginia Group experience tremendous pride and satisfaction in building a practice from the ground up. Their success is not a factor of luck or chance; it's the result of a productive work ethic, strong relationship skills and a level of professionalism second to none. A mission of doing what's right for our clients is the thread that weaves together our organization.
Career Opportunities
Through The Virginia Group, our financial representatives have advancement opportunities into management and specialist opportunities. Learn more about some of our team members:
Gary W. Taylor, Managing Director Gary Taylor is the Managing Director of a local network office. In addition to maintaining a strong personal practice, he plays a key role in the career development of other Financial Representatives.
Charles H. Dowdy, III, Field Director
As the Field Director, Charles Dowdy assists in the recruitment and selection process of candidates in order to build a cohesive unit of productive full-time Financial Representatives.
C. Russell Dodd, Employee Benefit Specialist
As the Employee Benefit Specialist, Russell Dodd prepares a comprehensive analysis of a client´s employee benefits program, and then offers solutions to meet the unique needs of that company.
Barclay S. Bright, Investment Specialist
As the Investment Specialist, Barclay Bright provides expertise in helping individual and business clients with their wealth accumulation and wealth preservation needs.
Career Insights
Read what some of the members of The Virginia Group have to say about their careers:
Matthew L. Lloyd, Financial Representative Matthew Lloyd has been a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network since 1997.
Before I became a Financial Representative, I was a banker. I wanted to own my own business and stay in financial services. I needed to buy some life insurance for my family and there were no Northwestern Mutual representatives in my town, so I decided to start the career. I assumed it would be a great opportunity for someone in this area.
I find the greatest reward to be the ability to work with whom I choose and the freedom I have. The greatest challenge is starting an office from scratch, an hour away from the nearest office. It’s a challenge to be able to do the work every day. Every day is a gut check.
You need to have a long-term outlook on the business but realize that every day is important. Just surviving the first few years does not guarantee success. The products we offer are superb. The thoroughness of the work we do is often different from the competition. If you are going to go into the financial services business, and it isn’t for everyone, this is probably the company to do it with.
Mark Krebs, CLU, Financial Representative Mark Krebs has been a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network since 1970.
Before I became a Financial Representative, I was a college student. I was seeking a career where I would be able to control my schedule, income and location. The greatest benefit of my career is the ability to help others achieve many of their most important financial objectives. Few careers offer the opportunity to earn such a high level of confidence and trust from others.
The career has its challenges, too, such as developing and maintaining the discipline necessary to succeed in every phase of this career, and the ability to prospect with quality individuals. Along the way, I’ve learned that it’s important to have the ability to dream and have that dream become a reality.
Making a Difference
Every day we encounter good people who are troubled, anxious and frustrated by the financial complexities of life. On a daily basis I get the opportunity to create genuine calmness and personal empowerment through my work. By educating my clients and developing appropriate solutions based on their needs and concerns, many of my clients become buyers, not individuals being sold.
If you’re considering becoming a Financial Representative, I say come to this company only if you have the will to labor, a desire to continually learn, and the courage to persevere. If you do not want the personal responsibility of a genuine client relationship, go elsewhere. I cannot imagine a better career opportunity for someone who wants to make this world a better place for others. As a financial representative you can do well by doing good and your wealth as measured by financial terms will pale in comparison to your psychic income.
Internships
Whether you know where your college education is taking you or you're still keeping your options open, you owe it to yourself to see if Northwestern Mutual Financial Network's Internship program with The Virginia Group is right for you.
As you learn by doing, you'll find that the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Internship Program is an intense and according to our alumni -- unparalleled learning experience. Expect the process to be rewarding, educational and an opportunity for you to narrow your career search.
Our internships provide a great chance for students to combine what they've learned in the classroom with a real-life look into what they could truly make of themselves. You'll have the chance to work in a real-world business environment and earn performance-based compensation.
The ambition of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Internship program has been less to sell our financial products than to develop people. As a Financial Representative College Intern, you will enjoy the benefit of working with The Virginia Group where you'll receive outstanding guidance, superior support and quality expertise.
As full-time college students, interns generally work 15 to 20 hours per week developing business- and client-building skills. In most ways, our interns follow the same process for establishing their careers as our Financial Representatives.
Our internship offers you invaluable business experience that you will take with you far into your career. But that's just the start of the impact this can have on your future and your present.
Consider these benefits:
Practical guidance in your career selection process
The chance to develop your networking and business relationship skills
Flexible work schedule
Securities license, state licenses for life, health and accident insurance opportunities and a head start program for a career as a full-time Financial Representative
Compensation in the same manner as a full-time Financial Representative.
Actual business experience for your resume.
Test drive the Financial Representative career.
Regardless of what you do after graduation, you'll have a foundation of skills and knowledge to build your career upon. One out of three former interns becomes a full-time Financial Representative upon graduation. These graduates have built a solid foundation for immediate and future career success.
The two-thirds who choose other career paths benefit as well. They launch their career with stronger business-building skills and a clearer sense of where they want their career to take them.
After completing the internship, the knowledge you have gained, coupled with the opportunity to work for The Virginia Group as a full-time Financial Representative, can lead you to a profitable and fulfilling future.
The Northwestern Mutual Advantage
Northwestern Mutual exists to help policyowners and clients protect against financial risk and achieve financial security. The company, with its subsidiaries and affiliates, offers insurance products, investment products and advisory services that address client needs for financial security and protection, capital accumulation, asset distribution and estate preservation.
With more than 350 offices across the United States, 3 million policyowners and clients, $18 billion in annual revenues and $133 billion in assets, you can count on Northwestern Mutual to help you build strong financial futures for your clients.
The company's tradition of "doing the right thing" has been honored and nurtured by successive generations within Northwestern Mutual and recognized in the industry and media.
World's Most Admired--Northwestern Mutual is the "World's Most Admired" company in its industry, according to FORTUNE magazine's annual survey of industry executives and analysts. For Northwestern Mutual, it is the seventh year as the top life/health insurance company in the magazine's global survey.
First in Customer Satisfaction-- For the third year in a row, Northwestern Mutual has earned the highest customer satisfaction score among U.S. life insurers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's (ACSI) survey. Northwestern Mutual's industry leading score can be found in the ACSI's fourth quarter of 2005 consumer study, focusing on retail trade, e-commerce, banks and insurance.
America's Most Admired--According to the March 7, 2006, FORTUNE magazine survey, Northwestern Mutual has been named "America's Most Admired" life insurance company for 23 years.
One of America's Top Ten Internships for 2006--"Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has made our Top 10 list for ten consecutive years, proving its internship program to be consistently among the best." Internship Informants™, Vault, inc., 20006.
Selling Power's 50 Best Companies to Sell For--Northwestern Mutual was ranked as the 2nd best and 4th largest service company (November/December 2005).
Financial Ratings--The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (Northwestern Mutual), the nation's largest direct provider of individual life insurance, according to statistics compiled from A. M. Best data, has always received the best possible insurance financial strength ratings from the four major rating services: Standard & Poor's (AAA), Fitch Ratings (AAA), A. M. Best (A++) and Moody's (Aaa).
Top 100 Employers--Ranked 22nd in The Black Collegian's "Top 100 Employer and The Majors in Demand" for the Class of 2005.
Largest Direct Provider of Life Insurance--According to statistics compiled from A. M. Best data, Northwestern Mutual is the largest direct provider of life insurance.
Community Support--The Northwestern Mutual Foundation supports nearly 1,500 schools and nonprofit organizations each year. Last year, the Foundation contributed nearly $13 million ($12,534,005) in national and Milwaukee-area grants.
2006 Dividend--Northwestern Mutual's overall dividend payout to policyowners for 2006 is expected to be $4.27 billion, an increase of $360 million, the largest single increase in company history. This ongoing success, fostered by the company's tradition of "doing the right thing," has been honored and nurtured by successive generations within Northwestern Mutual.
John Van Der Hyde, Managing Partner
Matthew L. Lloyd, Financial Representative
Mark Krebs, CLU, Financial Representative