Planning Team

Chris joined Northwestern Mutual in 2008 after a successful career as a Regional Sales Director for the Southwestern Company. Chris is a 6-time member of Northwestern Mutual’ s FORUM – which recognizes the top 2% of all advisors across the nation. Chris is a frequent speaker and trainer for Northwestern Mutual advisors, and he leads seminars throughout hospital systems educating medical residents and fellows on financial planning.

Chris grew up in Mukwonago, WI and he is a graduate of Marquette University. Chris and his wife Christina have two sons, Luke and Leo. They live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee. If Chris is not in his front yard throwing pass patterns to his boys, he most likely can be found watching the Chicago Bears (no one is perfect), enjoying “Up North” in the summer, or traveling. Chris and Christina have a large extended family with 22 nieces and nephews, whom they love spending time with.

Chris has earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CASL® designations as well as his Series 7, 6 and 63 FINRA investment licenses.

When asked about what he loves most about his career at Northwestern Mutual, Chris shared “I’m most energized by helping successful people understand the trajectory of their financial lives and encouraging those who are on track, to spend their life living.”

Scott started his career at Northwestern Mutual as a College Financial Representative in 2003. In 2004 Scott transitioned to a full-time role as a Financial Advisor and built a successful practice until Co-Founding Structura Financial Partners with Chris Fugman in 2020. Over the last 15+ years, Scott has earned numerous advisor awards and industry accolades. Scott is a frequent speaker and trainer for Northwestern Mutual advisors and leads financial planning seminars for local businesses and hospital systems, educating medical residents on financial planning.

Scott grew up in Waukesha and currently resides in Pewaukee with his wife Breann and their daughter Gracie. Scott attended the University of Wisconsin Madison for three years before beating his second bout of cancer. After years of treatment, Scott completed his degree in Finance and Investments from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Scott has earned his WMCP®, RICP®, CLTC® designations as well as obtaining his Series 7, 6 and 63 FINRA investment licenses.

Outside of the office, Scott loves to travel with his family and friends. Scott is an avid golfer and has a ‘bucket list’ goal to play the top 100 courses in the country. Scott is a huge sports fan and proud season ticket holder for the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers. Gracie keeps Scott and Breann busy as they’ve recently become club volleyball parents and will be travelling the Midwest to watch Gracie and her team.  They also enjoy her basketball games and acting performances – she loves to perform and isn’t scared to sing/dance/act in front of hundreds of people!

When asked about what he loves most about his career at Northwestern Mutual, Scott shared “I’m passionate about helping people achieve their goals and I’m humbled that our clients allow us to be an integral part of their financial and professional lives and put the trust in our team to deliver financial peace of mind. I’m eternally grateful for joining Northwestern Mutual and being part of a company and culture that delivers strength, stability and security for everyone we work with.”

Brian started with Northwestern Mutual in 2004 as a Financial Advisor and transitioned over to a successful advisory team to lead portfolio research and trading in 2005. Brian joined Structura Financial Partners Co-Founder Chris Fugman in 2013 to lead and develop their advisory and wealth management practice. In his current role with our team, Brian heads the research and direction of our portfolio construction and works side-by-side with many of our clients helping them plan for their financial goals.

Brian grew up in Muskego and currently lives in Vernon with his wife Tracy and their son Keeghan and daughter Sophia along with their labradoodle Danny. Brian received a degree in Psychology from Carroll University and has achieved his RICP® CLU® ChFC® CLTC designations. In addition, Brian has his Series 7, 6 and 63 FINRA licenses.

Outside of the office, Brian loves to read non-fiction books and study the stock market. He considers himself a student of the market ever since he became hooked on investing when he played the stock market ‘game’ for a high school class. He was fascinated by the graphs and charts in financial publications and researching financial statements.

Brian also loves spending time with his family, golfing and coaching select baseball in the spring and summer. When asked about what he loves most about his role, Brian mentioned “I love helping our clients plan for their future and teach them about portfolio construction, our advisory process and how we can more efficiently position their investments to achieve their goals.”

Jacob started with Northwestern Mutual in May 2013 as a College Financial Representative. Jacob worked as a Financial Advisor until 2015 before moving to Milwaukee to join Structura Financial Partners as a Support Advisor. In his role, Jacob works closely with clients scheduling appointments and supporting our advisors with integral research, planning and operational support.

Jacob’s father served 21 years in the United States Air Force, so travel was a big part of his youth. While Jacob has lived in places such as Germany, Georgia and Illinois, his deepest roots are in the Chippewa Falls, WI area where he graduated from Stanley-Boyd High School. Jacob married his high school sweetheart Alaina on the same beach in St. Thomas, USVI in 2017 that he proposed to her on a couple years prior. They live in Wauwatosa with their two Labradoodles, Diggle & Cena.

Jacob attended the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire where he earned degrees in Accounting and Finance as well as being a member of the wrestling team. Jacob has his Series 7, 6 and 63 licenses. Jacob loves to travel, go to concerts and support anything and everything WI sports.

When asked what he loves most about the work we do, Jacob said “We are at the center of many of our clients’ financial lives. A properly constructed plan allows for one to accomplish goals and make memories with those they care about most. It is an honor our clients put their trust and faith in our team to take care of their family.”

Karen started with Northwestern Mutual in 2017 – prior to joining our team, Karen was a district sales manager for various retailers. In her current role with our team, Karen works with clients to help them navigate the insurance underwriting and application process. Karen also provides client policy service, billing support and general operational assistance to our entire office and staff.

Karen grew up in Racine, WI and currently lives in Brookfield with her husband Bob, daughter Izzy.  She also has three step-kids; Colin, Neal and Marie. Karen attended The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she earned her degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Karen has her life, accident & health licenses as well as her Series 6 & 63 FINRA licenses.

Outside of the office, Karen loves spending time with her family and friends. She is fortunate to have her parents, one brother and two sisters who live in the Midwest. Being close has allowed them to watch their kids grow up together and stay tight as a family. Karen enjoys working out every day before coming to the office, reading fictional crime novels and is an avid Wisconsin Badgers football fan. 

When asked about what she likes the most about her role on the team, Karen mentioned “I love being part of a team that is passionate about helping people plan for an amazing future. I take pride in making sure that my part of the servicing process is seamless for our clients.”

Mark joined our team in 2021 after spending 16 years at Northwestern Mutual’s home office. During his tenure there, Mark held a series of roles that resulted in a host of valuable skills and experiences that he brings to our firm. His responsibilities included a variety of Program Management roles that delivered on significant corporate initiatives. Additionally, as Assistant Director of the Financial Planning and Consulting Team, Mark provided training and consultations to advisors across the NM network on financial planning and client experience tools.

Mark grew up in Wisconsin and currently resides in Lisbon with his wife of 38 years, Karen. Together they are the proud parents of 3 children who have given them the joy of 6 grandchildren – 4 girls followed by two grandsons. Mark earned his degree from Carroll University and has received his CFP®, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC® designations. He also has his Series 7 FINRA license.

In his free time, Mark is an avid distance runner and has competed in 23 marathons – including 3 in Boston!  He also enjoys woodworking and there always seems to be a home renovation project on his list. Both Karen and Mark enjoy camping – often in Door County and are dedicated to their volunteer work together that is often focused on hunger related needs in our communities.

When asked about what he most loves about the work we do, Mark said “I love being part of a team that understands the value of a financial plan, has the talent and experience to develop a plan that is relevant to each client and their respective aspirations and goals, and has the proven ability to bring the plan to life through implementation and servicing that helps clients reach their goals.”

Penny joined Northwestern Mutual in 2007 first as a Financial Advisor before moving over to lead operations and client service for Structura Financial Partner Co-Founder, Scott Mila. Penny has since provided over 12 years of support and advice to thousands of clients by helping with plan design, insurance underwriting and client billing and policyowner support. Penny loves getting to know clients and their stories and is passionate about giving ‘phenomenal client service.’

Penny grew up in Elmhurst, IL and currently resides in Oconomowoc with her husband of 34 years, Randy. Penny and Randy have a daughter Jennifer who lives in Virginia and is a recent Navy veteran. Penny received her bachelor’s degree from Alverno College and her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

Penny and Randy love to travel, they enjoy seeing the world and going on adventures from seeing Machu Picchu in Peru or the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Together they have visited 45 countries and hope to have a chance to visit more. They both love spending time with friends and enjoying great food and wine!

When asked about what she loves most about the work we do, Penny mentioned “I am passionate about providing our clients with the highest level of service possible. I love the fact that I can interact with our clients and have had the pleasure of getting to form so many wonderful relationships with them and my coworkers. Being able to represent a great team and wonderful company makes me feel very fulfilled.”

Lois joined Northwestern Mutual in 1991 with Tolan Schueller & Associates. Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Lois spent five years as an auditor for a large public accounting firm. In 2016, she joined with Structura Financial Partners Co-Founder, Chris Fugman. In her current role, Lois works on complicated insurance cases and plan design for corporate owned and advanced planning insurance policies. Lois has serviced many of the same accounts and clients for nearly 30 years!

Lois grew up in Watertown and now lives in New Berlin with her husband Lee and three children Erin, Amy and John. Lois attended the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater where she received her degree in Accounting. Lois is a CPA as well as having earned her CLU and ChFC designations.

Outside of work, Lois and her family love watching the children’s sports and musical performances. Her daughter Erin is a singer, Amy plays the flute and John plays tennis and volleyball. Lois would be remiss if she didn’t mention that her family is known throughout her community for their decadent chocolate chip cookies!!

When asked about what she enjoys most about her role on our team, Lois mentioned “I love problem solving – either by providing reasons for obtaining insurance or explaining options for currently owned insurance. I love digging into the details.”

Mona is a Milwaukee native and started with Northwestern Mutual 15 years ago in our corporate office. She has held various leadership roles throughout her career. Before starting with Structura Financial Partners, Mona worked closely with top offices around the country coaching advisors and implementing development plans with leading Managing Partners. Mona works with our team to create efficient operations and develop client appreciation events and marketing strategies. She has always had the ability to thrive as an operations leader in a busy environment but also loves developing others so they can be their best.

Mona and her husband Chad live in Brookfield with their 3 children Alexis, Blake and Ciara. They are extremely active in various activities and Mona loves that their house has become the main hangout for their kids and all their friends.

Mona is a fitness enthusiast, whether it be Orange Theory, rowing, running, TRX or being a certified Pilates instructor – she is always moving and staying healthy. Mona is passionate about wellness – both mind and body. If she’s not working out, you’ll find her watching her kids’ activities, reading a good suspense book and is an admitted Disney fanatic.

When asked what she loves most about the work we do, Mona said “I love the fact that we have an impact in some way shape or form on each person we meet… while we won’t work with everyone, at a minimum, we may ask a question that has them consider their goals, think about their future and leave our meeting better educated. For those we do work with, the fact that we help people realize their dreams and goals is incredibly motivating and fulfilling.”

Chuck earned an Economics Degree from Northwestern University and MBA from the UWM Lubar School of Business. He has spent his entire career in Milwaukee working in the Capital Markets arena. This includes 28 years with the former M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank Foreign Exchange and Investment Division. 

Chuck and his wife Amy are competitive swimmers and reside in Thiensville. Amy is a professional Interior Designer with Connelly Interiors in Mequon. Their son Nick and Daughter Allie are Homestead High School graduates and State Champion swimmers. Nick is a recent Northwestern graduate and part of the Mercury Racing Division in Fond du Lac. Allie graduated from the University of Kentucky and is earning her Masters degree at Northwestern in Sports Administration. Chuck & Amy are also vintage wooden boat enthusiasts and enjoy traveling to shows across the Midwest. 

Ed has over 20 years of experience managing equity portfolios, conducting investment research and providing asset allocation strategies.  He has an analytical background combined with extensive experience in domestic and international equity research.

Ed previously held the role as Senior Portfolio Manager with Next Generation Wealth Management.  At Next Gen he was responsible for the development and implementation of asset allocation strategies utilizing model portfolios for a diverse group of clients.  He also was responsible for initial and ongoing investment research, client communications and investment proposals.

Prior to Next Gen, Ed developed his expertise as a portfolio manager with Manulife Asset Management, Optique Capital and Johnson Asset Management managing in excess of $1.7 billion dollars for institutional and individual clients. While with these groups, he was instrumental in managing domestic large and small cap equity portfolios and led the development of the team’s international small cap strategies.

Ed is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and member of the Milwaukee CFA® society. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse majoring in Finance and Accounting. In addition, Ed currently serves on the board of the Kenosha Museum Foundation and Finance Committee.

Ed grew up in Kenosha and resides in Racine with his wife Cheryl, and their two children.  His daughter keeps him very busy with her synchronized skating team and golf tournaments.  Ed and his son enjoy cycling and mountain biking together around the country.  Ed and Cheryl prefer camping in the Northwoods over glamorous hotels for vacations.  At home, he enjoys spending time with his two dogs, Jozi & Jenni, backpacking and participating in local triathlons with friends.

Peter Benz, Director of Retirement Plans, has over 15 years of experience working in insurance and financial services, with a dedicated focus on Qualified Plan consulting since 2015. Pete is a trained economist with a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics from Marquette University. His extensive credentials and diverse skill set put him in a unique position to help Structura Financial Partner’s clients balance how to create and implement successful retirement plan strategies and to understand how complex global economic events impact individual and group portfolio returns. 

Pete currently resides in Wauwatosa with his wife and four children. He is very active in the St. Jude the Apostle parish community and his children attend the St. Jude the Apostle school.  Pete is a native of the Cleveland area and is an outspoken enthusiast for all the Cleveland sports teams. He enjoys golfing, playing basketball, and taking trips to the Northwoods of Wisconsin with his family.

Terry Spencer joined the Structura Financial Partners in the role of Retirement Plan Specialist. Working closely with Peter Benz, Terry is responsible for account management of existing retirement plan clients, advisor support for existing wealth management clients and sales support for new qualified plan and advisory opportunities.

Terry attended Marshall University and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He holds his Series 7,63,65 and 24 licenses.

Prior to accepting this position, he served as Area Sales Manager at Wells Fargo Advisors in Omaha, Nebraska, and as a Regional Consultant at Russell Investments here in Milwaukee. He brings 20 years of investment experience and a proven track record of success in advisory consulting, qualified plan support, and sales development. Terry has in-depth knowledge of retirement planning and capital markets.

Annette started with Northwestern Mutual in 2017 as a Financial Advisor. From there, she went on to join another team at Northwestern Mutual and worked as a lead advisor/financial analyst– prior to joining our team, Annette was a Physical Therapist Assistant working in private practice, skilled nursing, and home health; as well as, held a role as mortgage loan manager. In her current role with our team, Annette works with clients to help them navigate new account openings, transfers of current accounts, and any services needed to their current NM investment accounts.

Annette grew up in Greenfield, WI and currently still lives in Greenfield with her husband Matt, and two daughters Sophia and Sydney. Annette attended Milwaukee Area Technical College where she earned her Associates degree in Applied Sciences. Annette has her life, accident & health licenses as well as her SIE, and Series 6 & 63 FINRA licenses.

Outside of the office, Annette loves spending time with her family and friends. She loves to travel with her husband and take yearly trips with her children and parents every year. Annette also enjoys hiking, reading fictional crime novels, going to wine and food tastings, concerts, and watching her daughters compete in gymnastics and basketball. 

Annette loves working with people and making a difference in their lives no matter how big or small. She loves being part of a team that truly understands the value of great financial planning and how every person and family is different and has different goals and dreams they want to achieve!

Melissa grew up in the Milwaukee area and started her career with Northwestern Mutual in 2014. Before joining Structura Financial Partners, she led a team of 10 financial advisors with a mission to reconnect and service unassigned clients. Melissa, inspired by Structura’s passion for helping people achieve their financial goals, joined the team in 2023 and is excited to build on her experiences and skills with the firm. As an Investment Operations Associate, she works closely with clients to help navigate the investment onboarding experience.

Melissa grew up in the Greater Milwaukee area and currently resides in Wind Lake with her fiancé, Rusty, two children: Rosie and Rusty and their dog, Rhody. Melissa attended University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she earned her degree in communication. She has her life, accident & health licensing and has earned her CLF®designation.

In her free time, Melissa loves spending time with her family doing outdoor activities such as tending to their ducks, camping, snowmobiling, hiking, swimming, or taking golf cart rides through the woods with their dog. If she’s not outside, you’ll find her planning their wedding or coming up with new house projects with Rusty.

Donna started with Sturctura in 2023- prior to joining the team she was a billing manager for an orthopedic surgery practice. In her current role with our team, Donna works with clients to help them navigate the insurance underwriting and application process.

Donna is a Milwaukee native and currently resides in Wauwatosa with her husband Chris. They have three children Averie, Noah, and Lilly. Donna received her bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and her master’s degree from Luther Seminary.

Outside of work, Donna takes great joy in her family, which is fortunate to be close by in Milwaukee. She is the director of children’s ministry at St. Matthew’s ELCA in Wauwatosa. In the summer, she relishes time at her family cottage.

When asked about what she enjoys most about her role on our team, Donna mentioned: Working in a team environment that is committed to making a meaningful and positive impact on people’s lives is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Andrew is a native of the Greater Milwaukee Area, having grown up in Germantown and earning his Bachelor's Degree from The Marquette University School of Business in Marketing.  Following his graduation in 2020, Andrew spent 3 years working in the FinTech space with FIS.  There, he was a Solution Consultant for online and mobile banking solutions. Knowing that he wanted to stay in the financial space, he then joined Structura Financial Partners in 2023 as an Operations Associate. The ability to have a positive and personal impact on each client's well-being is what excites him the most. 

Andrew now resides in Bayview with his girlfriend Cesia, along with their two cats Huey and Stella. Outside of the office, you can find Andrew competing on the disc golf course, perfecting a new recipe, or cheering on the Bucks and Packers.

Lisa joined Structura Financial Partners in October 2022. Prior to this, Lisa worked in Northwestern Mutual’s home office for 31 years. In her tenure there, Lisa spent 16 years within the retail investment products area where she assisted in the development of several key aspects of the investment product line development, including metric measurement for NMIS as a full-broker dealer, performing in-depth financial analysis of the business to aid in financial decision making, building revenue projections in accordance with the business plan, and playing an integral role in building out the Signature Advisory Programs. Prior to her retirement at the home office, she was Assistant Director, Data Science & Analytics where she led a team of experts to build out insights for business partners and coordinated a community of analysts across the organization to democratize data via building of analytical skills, capacity, and capabilities for the over 300 analytic professionals.

Lisa lives in southeastern Wisconsin and enjoys spending time outdoors in her yard and taking walks with her dog. Lisa has a B.A. in Accounting and an M.S. Finance degree. She also holds her FINRA 6, 7, 24 licenses and the Series 63 license.

In addition to having the opportunity to work for Structura Financial Partners part-time, Lisa was drawn to the work that takes place within the field office as she is passionate about what we do for our clients.