Antonio Santillo

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Head of Innovation & Strategic Growth at Northwestern Mutual

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Overview

Antonio Santillo is the Head of Innovation & Strategic Growth at Northwestern Mutual, spearheading initiatives in M&A, strategic partnerships, and venture investing. He focuses on converting emerging technologies, particularly AI, into scalable growth for the financial services ecosystem. He holds a BBA from James Madison University.

Outside of his corporate role, Antonio is a proud father, recently celebrating his daughter Claires completion of her Financial Representative training. He appears to be deeply invested in fostering the next generation of talent, both personally and professionally.

He was a featured panelist at the Reuters Events "The Future of Insurance USA" conference, discussing AIs role in the customer experience.

Personality Overview

Direct & Candid

Fast-Paced

Vision Oriented

They care equally about the product and its potential impact.  They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles. They respond well to confident salespeople.

Topics They Care About

AI in Financial Services
He leads AI-enabled transformation and modernization initiatives at Northwestern Mutual and speaks publicly on how AI can create an incredible customer experience.
Venture Investing
His role includes leadership of Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, which invests in startups to position the company ahead of market disruption.
Corporate M&A
A core focus of his career has been on corporate development, M&A, and post-acquisition integration to build durable competitive advantages.

Media Appearances

How Americans Feel About AI and Their Money. Featured in Northwestern Mutual

See Now

Work History

1-2026
Head of Innovation & Strategic Growth at Northwestern Mutual
3-2020 - 12-2025
Head of Strategic Planning & Development at Northwestern Mutual
5-2019 - 6-2020
Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fundera by NerdWallet
12-2018 - 5-2019
Vice President & General Manager/Head of Strategy & Business Development at Q2 | Gro
1-2017 - 12-2018
Business Strategy Consultant & Advisor at SANTILLO CONSULTING

Education

1990 - 1995
BBA from James Madison University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Innovation & Strategic Growth at Northwestern Mutual
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Insights For Selling To Antonio

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Tell them that you are there to help them create visible impact within their organization
  • Make sure that they have the necessary authority, they could present false stature sometimes
  • Ask them questions confidently while doing discovery, don’t be apologetic

DONT's

  • Don’t try to be an alpha salesperson, give them equal space
  • Do not give up if they are not convinced, try again with a different approach
  • Refrain from asking too many questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Antonio is

  • Confidence in the product plays an important role, followed by powerful testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Antonio

  • They might hesitate a little, but they will say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Antonio move?

  • Their decision making speed is somewhere in the middle.
  • Can Antonio take some risk or not?

  • Once they have analyzed the pros and cons, they can take some risks.

You And Antonio

Personality Compatibility


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