Pros
a few harsh reviews lately. figured i would chime in as an employee who lived through the acquisition. quite a lot has changed. yes, the reality is, you work for Northwestern Mutual (NM) now. But daily atmosphere still far more energized than that of a big corporate. Not the same startup buzz of the past. Painpoints are natural after an acquitsition (see below). Taking a step back, the acquisition seems tremendously successful to date. The operations, software and talent of a small startup were acquired and since re-purposed into a central (if not the central artery) of a $75-$100 billion company, arguably the world's leading life insurer and a top 25 financial brand globally. Many LV executives are now senior NM executives. Tech, product, analytics, and marketing all now driven by teams in NYC. An office of 100 has grown to ~400. Remarkable, really. SO, the opportunity may not have the same startup buzz and adrenaline but I would wager (and know from offers received by me and others) that spending time at NM's NYC office (aka the LearnVest of old) is highly, highly valuable experience as tens of thousands of industry incumbents across the country are attempting to (or will have to) undergo similar transformations.
Cons
Parent office is slow. Plagued by policy and bureaucracy, which unfortunately are a given with a 160 year old company. Never felt LV was a political place until a couple years ago and it does feel like the posturing, imaging, politicking are all in play - a hallmark of the only other big company I have worked at before. That seems to be the culture in Milwaukee (where parent co is based) and it has trickled down.