Our Team

Mike Polan is a wealth management advisor with Next Phase Advisory Group. He is committed to providing clients with guidance that allows them to retire with confidence & create a legacy of significance.

Mike guides his clients through a process that allows them to crystallize their vision for the future - then creates a plan that helps bring that vision into reality.

Mike joined Northwestern Mutual here in Chicagoland's Western suburbs in 1990. He graduated from Bradley University in Peoria with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics. He is went on to earn his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) & Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations and is 6, 7, 63 & 65 registered. During his 30 year financial services career he has earned several awards including the National Quality Award.

Mike and his wife Pam have been married for 20+ years and are proud residents of Wheaton. They have two children, Connor (17) and Shaye (15), that keep them very busy.

Mike is a strong believer in supporting his community. He supports their Children’s High School, St Francis College Preparatory, Ronald McDonald House in Winfield, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand’s research for Childhood Cancer. In Mike's free time, he enjoys coaching his children's sports teams and spending family time at their lake house in Wisconsin.

Kevin Olson is a Wealth Management Advisor with Next Phase Advisory Group. His career path has been rooted in a desire to provide sound, thoughtful guidance to his clients in the form of a comprehensive financial plan. His personable approach is reflected in the lifelong relationships that he has developed with clients & their families.

People have trust in Kevin’s recommendations because they are based upon the best interest and long-term view of their business, family and the future generation. He guides his clients through a process that allows them to envision the future state – then creates a plan that helps bring that vision into reality.

Kevin joined Northwestern Mutual here in Chicagoland’s Western suburbs in 1990. He graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a bachelor of science in business and a minor in economics. He went on to earn his Chartered Life Underwriter® designation in 1999; the insurance profession’s oldest standard of excellence launched in 1927. He is 6, 7, 63 & 65 registered. During his financial services career, he has earned several awards including the Life Impact Award and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, NAIFA®, National Quality Award and Northwestern Mutual FORUM, recognizing the highest level of productivity and excellence.

He and his wife Beth have been married for 25 years and are proud residents of Naperville. They have three children, Andrew, David & Megan, that keep them very busy. Kevin can proudly say that he has never missed a single game or event for his children. A product of financial planning himself, Kevin & Beth have been able to Live the Life that they Love.

Carm Barbaro is a Wealth Management Advisor with over 15 years of experience guiding clients. Prior to establishing his practice at Northwestern Mutual in 2010, Carm gathered experience at JPMorgan and BMO Harris. Over the years Carm has focused on a comprehensive financial planning experience with clients in both the emerging affluent and retirement planning markets.

In 2012, Carm was honored to be a featured speaker at the Northwestern Mutual Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carm and his team are proud to have received the NAIFA Quality Award multiple times as well as being awarded the Advisor Today 4 Under 40 Award in 2018, which featured him and his team nationally.

Carm grew up in the Southside Chicago area and attended St. Laurence High School followed by Northern Illinois University. Carm is married to Kristen and they are parents to daughters Aubri and Cora, and son Ben. They reside in the Western Suburbs of Chicagoland.

• Phil handles overseeing the network operations to achieve the highest levels of productivity and profitability. Also, Marketing externally and internally promoting the organization.
• Phil joined the team in 2014 and has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2007 starting as a Financial Representative and then the Client Relations Director. He is Life, Health, Annuity and Long Term Care licensed.
• Phil enjoys spending time with his wife, Shannon, daughter, Cambria and their dog, Frankie. Music is a big part of his life, including writing music, playing guitar & piano. He also enjoys mountain biking and being outdoors.

• Kathy handles establishing new Investment Accounts & servicing existing Advisory Accounts. She also conducts Client Investment reviews and provides excellent continuity with clients
• Kathy started with Northwestern Mutual in 1981 and been with Mike primarily since August 2005. She is Series 6,63,7, Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Variable and Long Term Care Licensed. She is currently working on an advanced designation.
• Kathy has been married to her husband Rich since 1990. She has two children, a daughter Allison, a pharmacist with Walgreens in New York and a son, Andrew, who is attending college. She enjoys gardening and bicycling with her family. She visited Europe a few years ago and considers it one her most amazing experiences.

• Lora handles our client services. She is the point of contact for clients as it relates to insurance questions, service and the application and underwriting process.
• Lora has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2005. She began part-time as an Associate Financial Representative while her children were in school. She is currently Life, Health, Annuity and Long-Term Care Licensed. She joined Next Phase Advisory Group in November 2019 as The Client Service Associate. Lora earned both her B.A. in Economics and MBA in Marketing at the University of Cincinnati.
• Lora and her husband Jim reside in Batavia where they raised their sons, Max and Joe. As a family, they enjoy their two dogs who are both rescues and occasionally foster for Starfish Animal Rescue. In her spare time, Lora enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, as well as playing pickleball and competitive tennis.

• Cheryl is the main point of contact to schedule time to meet Mike or Carm.  Her responsibilities include scheduling client and prospective client meetings, managing the distribution of client communications and coordinating client appreciation events.

• Cheryl joined the team in 2020 and has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2013.  She brings over 20+ years of marketing and client services experience to the team.

• Cheryl graduated with degrees in Advertising and Marketing from the University of Colorado in Boulder and lives in Naperville with her husband and two sons.

• Jennifer handles our client portfolio development and plan implementation. She also conducts research for plan updates, client reviews, and conducts plan maintenance. In addition, she handles the day to day operational procedures with Kevin.
• Jennifer joined Northwestern Mutual in 2002. She is Series 7 & 63 registered. Prior to joining the team in 2007, she supported the Investment Operations department for the Agency. She graduated from MacMurray College with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management.
• Jennifer was born and raised in the Western Suburbs, where she currently resides.

• Aline handles the Marketing and Event Planning for Next Phase Advisory Group as well as assists clients in the application and underwriting process of all insurance products. She is currently Life and Health Insurance licensed
• Aline joined Next Phase Advisory Group in November 2019 and has a previous background of running a successful sales and marketing office.
• Aline enjoys working out and traveling any chance she gets.   
• She also has a 7 year daughter that is always making her laugh in the best way. 

• Sally handles our Investment client accounts and tailors their plans to meet their personal Investment needs. She processes account changes and updates. She guides our clients through the onboarding process and aggregating their financial information.
• Sally joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001. She is Series 7, 9, 10 & 63, Life, Health & Variable Insurance licensed. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has been working in the securities and advisory planning services since graduation.
• Sally and her husband, Mike live in Naperville, IL with their son, Jake, and their daughter, Jordan.

• Katy oversees day-to-day operational procedures with Carm, handles general account administration, new client enrollment, and Insurance underwriting and client servicing.
• Katy graduated with a degree in Psychology from Dominican University. She worked in inside sales for Hormel Foods for a few years before joining Northwestern Mutual in 2007.
• Katy resides in Western Springs with her husband Pat and daughter Rose. In their spare time, Katy and her family are active members of their Parish, enjoys fitness, and spending time with family and friends.

• Erik is an integral part of our planning team, he effectively applies his investment knowledge and skills with planning software within Northwestern Mutual to help create comprehensive financial plans.
• Erik has been with Northwestern Mutual since January 2013, and has acquired his Series 7 & 66, Life and Health insurance licenses.
• Erik attended the University of Illinois and graduated with a degree in Finance in May of 2012. He grew up in Plainfield, IL and recently moved to Elk Grove Village. Some of Erik's hobbies include golfing, working out, and reading. He's a hug fan of Fighting Illini basketball as well as the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls.

Erin joined Northwestern Mutual in January 2019 as an intern while earning her bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Economics from North Central College. Upon graduating, she served as a Financial Representative before joining Next Phase Advisory Group in May 2020. She is currently Life, Health, and Long Term Care licensed.

In her spare time, Erin enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her two dogs, Pip and Koda. She enjoys watching hockey, spending time outdoors fishing, and attending concerts.