Good People
Strengthen
Great Business

Anthony "Tony" Golden is a mentor and executive consultant in Michigan and surrounding areas with more than 40 years of experience helping organizations grow. Throughout his career, he has built high-performing teams, developed leaders, and helped organizations navigate periods of significant growth and change. He is particularly experienced in situations that require a fresh approach, stronger leadership, and a clear path toward improved performance.

Tony spent more than 25 years with Thrivent Financial, serving in leadership roles across Illinois and Michigan, including Managing Partner. Following the merger that created Thrivent, he was responsible for leading a regional financial office through a period of significant organizational change. Tony earned national GAMA recognition while nearly doubling the number of advisors under his leadership and increasing production by more than 60% within five years. He also recruited and developed new advisors, strengthened retention, and helped establish a positive culture during a challenging transition. His leadership earned multiple GAMA National Management, Sales Achievement, and Career Development Awards, and he was selected to serve on national Field Marketing, Channel Development, and Field Merger Implementation teams.

Following his time at Thrivent, Tony founded Golden Financial, LLC, a financial planning firm focused on retirement, estate, and charitable planning. Within its first year, he recruited 12 advisors, opened three new offices, and established relationships with multiple companies to broaden the firm's products and services.

Tony later served as General Manager of the Great Lakes Division for Mutual of Omaha, where he had full responsibility for the division's financial performance and its sales, recruiting, marketing, training, and operations. He was brought in to solve a problem: he solved the dependency on Medicare supplements making up 85% sales and transformed the business to an 80% focus on life insurance. The result was a 116% increase in life insurance sales, improved profitability, and a dramatic reduction in lead costs. He also added 24 advisors over 36 months and established two new offices.

As Regional Sales Director for Country Financial, Tony went on to lead a team of more than 200 financial professionals. During his tenure, he helped strengthen the organization's growth strategy and led the implementation of its Build Your Brand initiative. He recruited more than 50 new financial advisors in two years, generating new opportunities for growth while continuing to emphasize advisor development and productivity.

Today, as a semi-retired consultant, Tony works with insurance and finance business leaders, fraternal benefit society executives, and leadership teams who value practical experience and thoughtful strategy. Drawing on decades of experience leading organizations through growth, transition, and turnaround situations, he helps leaders strengthen their organizations and develop the people responsible for their future. His consulting work often centers on leadership development, recruiting, executive coaching, and building cultures where people can perform at their best.

Tony's professional credentials include the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Leadership Fellow (CLF), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), and Fraternal Insurance Counselor (FIC) designations. He has also served as President of his local General Agents and Managers Association and has been active in several industry associations.

Beyond his professional career, Tony has remained committed to serving his community. He has served as Chair of the Wellspring Lutheran Services Board, supporting an organization dedicated to strengthening children, families, and older adults. His leadership has always been guided by a belief that lasting success is built through integrity, service, and investing in people. Outside of consulting, Tony enjoys spending time with his family and being outdoors, especially biking, hiking, fishing, and hunting.