Michael S. Sheppard, CFP®, CPFA, CEPA is the Group Vice President for the Great Lakes Advisor Group at Thrivent Financial. Prior to Thrivent, he most recently served as Managing Partner and founder of IronwoodDrive Financial Group, LLC (IFG). The name IronwoodDrive is significant – it is in honor of the street he lived on in California after his mom passed away. Before that he was the Managing Director and Senior Manager Director at Principal Financial Group (2015-2019). He also worked at Northwestern Mutual (NM) as Chief Development Officer-Lueder Financial Group (2014-2015) and as Regional Director (2012-2014). He worked at Northern Trust Corp. as Vice President & Wealth Strategist (2010-2012). He began
his financial career at NM as Financial Representative/College Unit Director-Cornerstone Financial Group (2005-2010). Before finding his passion of helping others in the financial services industry, he spent time playing football (Defensive Back) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Omaha Beef.
Michael is an active community leader. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Board for Employ Milwaukee (2018-present) and Board Member at Junior Achievement of Wisconsin (2011-present), The Nature Conservancy (2021-present) and the Milwaukee Chamber Theater (2021-present). He was on the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Board, and he was a USA Hockey Certified Coach for Milwaukee Winter Club Youth Hockey (2014-2017). He was Vice President and Board member of the Milwaukee Athletic Club (2009-2017). He was also a board member on the Marketing Committee of NextAct Theatre (2011-2013) and was Associate Director at the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (2011-2013).
Michael is a proud parent of Davis (15 years old), Diana (14 years old), Demi (8 years old), and Jayden (1 year old).
