Cochran, a Nashville native, was commended during the induction ceremony for his work with Northwestern Mutual, where he is known as one of the “founding fathers” of the company’s LEAD management development program. Cochran retired from the company in 2002 after a career that spanned more than 54 years.

Cochran was named managing partner at Northwestern Mutual’s Nashville office at age 30, the youngest such managing partner within the company at the time. During his 35-year tenure as managing partner, Cochran led Northwestern Mutual’s expansion in Middle and East Tennessee and its evolution from a small insurance agency to a sophisticated financial services company.