Upstate, SC Financial Advisor Office

Upstate

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John Tripoli

MBA, CLU®, CFP®

Managing Director

John Tripoli is the managing director of the Greenville & Spartanburg district offices. He leads an incredible group of advisors and representatives who are others minded and forward focused, helping their clients make great decisions with their resources. John is passionate about his involvement in the community having served as a member on the Board of Directors and former chair of the Tocqueville Society for United Way of Greenville County, the past president of Greenville Estate Planning Council, a former executive member of the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball and the past president of Northwestern Mutual’s Managing Directors Association. In 2014, John was awarded the Community Service Award by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation for his work with the Center for Developmental Services.

Mandee Armfield

Executive Director of Development

Originally from Western NY, Mandee relocated to Greenville in 2009. She started with Northwestern Mutual in 2011. As the Executive Director of Development in Upstate SC, she oversees new financial representatives onboarding, licensing and creates ongoing training and coaching schedules for their first several years of business. Mandee also manages the New Business Services team who provides administrative support to these newest financial representatives. In addition, Mandee runs our highly ranked internship program with interns who represent over 8 local universities. She is passionate about the entrepreneurial opportunity at Northwestern Mutual and enjoys assisting our newest representatives in growing their careers. Mandee is a certified business coach and holds SIE, Series 6, and Series 63 licenses. She has been recognized as Greenville Business Magazine’s Best and Brightest and SC Women in Business. Mandee is married to her husband Bo, and they have two sons, Rowen and Remington.

Claire Bray

Growth and Development Director

Claire graduated May 2007 from Furman University in Greenville, SC, with a B.A. in Political Science. She has deep family roots in the Greenville community and is involved in the United Way, Greenville Women Giving, as well as supporting the Furman Paladins. Claire joined Northwestern Mutual February 2017. She leads the recruiting efforts as Executive Director of Recruitment by developing our expertise and presence with closely held businesses, professionals and business leaders in our community. Additionally, she recruits and develops top quality interns and financial representatives. Claire is married to her husband, Wes, and they have two daughters.

Joseph Funderburk

CFP®, CLU®

Growth and Development Director

Joe received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from College of Charleston. He returned to Greenville in 2008 and began his wealth management career in 2015. He has his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and serves as Growth and Development Director in the Greenville office. He is also a licensed life and health insurance agent and holds the Series 6, Series 7, and Series 63 FINRA securities licenses as a Wealth Management Advisor with 3D Wealth Management. Joe prides himself and his team on providing a balanced approach to achieving your goal of financial security to grow and protect your wealth and legacy. While not in the office, Joe prefers to spend his time with family and being outdoors. He has completed numerous marathons and is a two time Ironman finisher. Joe also serves as Vice President of the Greenville County Foster Parent Association. Fun fact about Joe, before retiring from the sport, Joe completed more than 2,000 skydives.

Benjamin Worley

CFP®, CLU®, CASL®, RICP®, MBA

Wealth Management Advisor

Originally from Alpharetta, GA, Ben and his family have called Greenville, SC, home since 2006. Ben is married to Courtney and together they have three children, Lucy, Robinson, and Jennings. Ben is a 2004 graduate of Wake Forest University (Business and Spanish) and has his MBA from Clemson University.

Nate Samuel

Financial Advisor

Nate is a Growth and Development Director in the Spartanburg office. Raised in the Colorado Rockies, he and his family relocated to the Upstate in 2021. Nate has been a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual since 2014. Having found value in financial planning as a young adult, he loves the opportunity to add value to his clients through creative planning for every season of life. Nate specializes in strategic planning in the military marketplace and closely held businesses. He and his wife, Sasha, have 4 kids and have fallen in love with the southern lifestyle. When not in the office, he can be found cruising around in his 1968 corvette, helping his wife finish DIY projects, and developing their new multigenerational ranch in Woodruff, SC.

Meredith Fallon

Executive Assistant

Meredith is John Tripoli’s executive assistant; she joined Northwestern Mutual in 2020. In her role, Meredith provides operational support for the district agency leadership team and Upstate Legacy Planning Group. She also plans agency events and marketing efforts. A graduate of Bob Jones University, Meredith enjoys meeting new people, building relationships, and traveling.

Starla Brown

Director of Finance and Operations

Starla is originally from North Carolina but has lived in South Carolina most of her life. She considers herself a true Carolina Girl, born in one, and raised in the other. Starla is the proud mother of two daughters who are married, one who lives in SC and the other in VA. She is also grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter, born in 2023. Starla began her career at Northwestern Mutual in 2013. As Director of Finance for the agency, Starla oversees the areas of finance and administration, including accounting, commissions, payroll, human resources, facilities, and office management.

Maggie Smith

Recruiting and Development Coordinator

Maggie moved to Greenville in February of 2023 from Jacksonville, Florida. She started as the office’s New Business Services Specialist and has recently been promoted to Recruiting and Development Coordinator. In her new role, Maggie will be running our year-round internship program working with over 8 local universities in the Upstate. She works directly with all new advisors providing administrative support in their first few years of the business. She is passionate about connecting with people and aiding our newest advisors, including interns, as they grow in their professional career. Maggie currently holds her SIE license and completed her investment license in 2024. She is one of four girls and loves calling Greenville home.

Northwestern Mutual