Craig Schedler, managing director of Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2025 Powerlist.

Craig Schedler leads Northwestern Mutual’s venture capital efforts, a journey that began with a keen interest in the early days of fintech. Having started in investment banking, Schedler joined Northwestern Mutual 12 years ago when the US financial planning and life insurance company was looking for insight into how to navigate the new world of digital services.
“We were able to show that there is going to be a place for digital, but it is going to be human and digital,” Schedler reflects. “That was an insight that we would not have had, had we not been actively evaluating and investing in companies.”

Launched in 2016, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures has gone from an initial $50m fund to managing more than $300m in assets today. The five-person investment team focuses on two key objectives: “It is financial return, obviously, and it is also strategic.”
Since launching, the team has completed five exits, but more importantly, it has successfully activated partnerships with over a third of portfolio companies, a metric Schedler is particularly proud of.
Within Northwestern Mutual, the CVC unit has also become a recognised “centre of expertise in emerging companies and technology that people from across the organisation can turn to when they have questions,” he says.
“We were able to show that there is going to be a place for digital, but it is going to be human and digital.”
Organisationally, Schedler has both venture and corporate development teams reporting to him, providing a comprehensive view of emerging technologies and potential investments.
Currently, wealth management technology is a primary investment focus. “We spend a lot of time looking at what a financial advisor needs so that they can serve their clients better,” says Schedler. AI plays a crucial role in this strategy, with Schedler saying it can help advisors “focus on those things that they do really well”, such as guiding clients through economic uncertainty.
Looking ahead, Schedler is exploring “the future of money”. He is particularly interested in stablecoins and payment advancements. Recent notable investments include Trust and Will, an estate-planning platform, and Alkymi, an AI-powered middle office solution for investment managers.

The Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.
These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.