Outstanding Up & Comers

Welcome to the SFBW Up & Comers awards section, celebrating the top achievers under the age of 40 throughout South Florida. This is the second year for our Up & Comers event and the popularity has grown.

SFBW has quickly become South Florida’s source for inside, in-depth business news and analysis. Up & Comers focuses on the achievements of top young professionals both in the workplace and for charitable and civic contributions. Many of them have already made their mark in senior-level leadership positions or are on the fast track to do so.

Professionally, they are the leaders who will help South Florida’s economy continue to grow and innovate. They are helping drive key business sectors, including banking/finance, construction, education, health care, hospitality, law, marketing, real estate, retail and technology. They are active in a broad array of leadership roles for charities and professional associations.

The professionals recognized in the following pages were nominated by members of the community – many of them SFBW readers. We also called upon your clients and colleagues to submit nominations for those deserving recognition. We specifically asked to learn about those who have demonstrated an overall commitment to South Florida.

We received hundreds of nominations for Up & Comers through our website. The results were evaluated by our editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Kevin Gale, who has three decades of experience as a business journalist in South Florida.

The winners in each category were announced during a celebration on June 18 at “The Venue” in Wilton Manors.

This fall, we will have our second Apogee Awards, which honor C-level executives. We will also be launching our inaugural awards program to honor HR professionals. For more information on both events, just click on the events tab at SFBWmag.com.

SFBW wants to do more than just cover South Florida. We want to be a part of it. We invite you to join us in the celebration of the best our community has to offer.

Gary Press

Chairman, Lifestyle Media Group

Northwestern Mutual

As managing partner of Northwestern Mutual – The South Florida Group, I would like to congratulate all of the nominees, finalists and winners of the 2015 Up & Comer Awards. We are honored and excited to be partnering with Lifestyle Media Group and SFBW to showcase the many South Florida professionals whose dedication to their occupation and their community deserves recognition. They represent the best and the brightest “rising stars” in our community.

These young business and community leaders come from a wide range of industries, including banking, business/professional services, architecture, engineering, consumer products and services, cultural institutions, education, financial services, government, health care, insurance, law, marketing and media and nonprofits, among others. Though they come from many backgrounds, they are connected by the desire to be their best in all they do.

At Northwestern Mutual, we are committed to doing our best to serve the needs of others as we positively impact our community. Founded in 1857, our company has lived through the Civil War, the crash of 1929, the Great Depression, two world wars and numerous recessions. Our experience is extensive. We are well-positioned to help you manage financial risk and achieve financial security in today’s complex world.

On behalf of Northwestern Mutual, I would once again like to congratulate all those being honored.

M. Kevin Lawhon, CLU

Managing Partner

For a full list of the winners please click here: 2015 Up Comer Awards Winners