MIDDLETOWN, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Embrace Home Loans, a prominent leader in the mortgage industry, has launched a new digital marketing division. Based in New York, N.Y., the new division is designed to build data-driven digital marketing capabilities to support the full mortgage sales cycle from awareness, lead generation, nurture, close and advocacy.
As the marketplace changes and consumers’ expectations change, more prospective borrowers are researching lending opportunities digitally. In response to these changing expectations, Embrace Home Loans is adapting to this new generation of buyers. Working in collaboration with other departments, Embrace Home Loans’ digital division will build a digital marketing ecosystem that will integrate with the customer relationship platform. The omni-channel strategy is designed to integrate all customer touchpoints across the Embrace website, mobile, SMS, Email, Mail, Phone and in-person sales.
As a part of this new initiative, Embrace named three experts in the fields of digital marketing, advertising and analytics to senior positions. Linda Benowitz is digital marketing director, Tony Branda is chief data and analytics officer, and Jorgen Persson is manager of digital demand generation
Linda Benowitz, digital marketing director, was most recently at Citibank where she built a global digital insights team and accelerated data-driven digital techniques across the global consumer bank. She has been in the digital space for more than ten years and has experience in many aspects of banking including database marketing, credit and risk management, and marketing planning. Previously, she held positions at Cablevision and JP Morgan Chase in similar capacities. She holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a Master’s of Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
“My vision is that Embrace Home Loans will be the premier omni-channel mortgage provider, providing the right balance of digital self-service and personal attention to service customers the way they want to be supported,” said Benowitz. “I joined the team at Embrace for two reasons. First, the opportunity to build a new team and new capabilities is motivating and exciting. Second, the team at Embrace houses some of the best in the business. From the very beginning, I was impressed with every person I met and the emphasis on people. They put a great deal of stock into building exceptional teams and developing people; that immediately drew me in.”
Industry veteran, Tony Branda, stepped in as chief data and analytics officer late last year, bringing nearly 25 years of experience in the banking industry. Previously, Branda worked in executive positions with Citibank, Advance Publications Inc., RBS National Bank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Branda also serves as an adjunct professor of digital marketing and consumer intelligence at Pace University’s Lubin Graduate School of Business. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Marketing and Finance from Pace University, a certification in Integrated Marketing from New York University, and is currently a doctoral candidate of Marketing and Customer Intelligence at Pace University. Under Branda’s leadership, Embrace will develop a new Enterprise data and analytics strategy and infrastructure to drive greater customer intelligence not only better data Decisioning, but also better support its overall mission of providing exceptional service. He will also create a digital nervous system to communicate digitally with customers and prospects, as well as provide marketing automation to drive more customer outreach and increase acquisitions all based on Big Data Analytics.
“Under this new division, we aim to create digital awareness and intelligently target various market segments and audiences,” said Branda. “This will not only better meet the needs of today’s borrowers, but also drive performance. Borrowers will be able to complete online lead forms that we can integrate into our CRM, enabling us to further nurture those leads digitally. Overtime, we’ll increase efficiency and drive digital traffic. This is an exciting time for Embrace and the lending industry as a whole.”
Embrace’s final addition to the senior digital marketing team is Jorgen Persson, who will manage SEO and paid media. Jorgen is well versed in the digital marketing field, previously holding positions such as senior marketing manager of Nordics and EU Strategic Partnerships at Vistaprint, co-founder of JAG Media Group, and director of marketing at Testive, Inc. He received a Bachelor’s of Science in Communications and Advertising from Salem State College.
“We’re thrilled that Linda, Tony and Jorgen have joined the Embrace team in our continued commitment to creating a differentiating experience for our borrowers, that best matches the buying preferences of today’s customers,” said Kurt Noyce, president of Embrace Home Loans. “Today, lenders must have the ability to intelligently drive awareness through digital channels. This group will ensure Embrace remains a leader in combining technology with big data, in effectively matching our solutions to customers, allowing Embrace to continue growing in the Digital Era.”
About Embrace Home Loans
Founded in 1983, Embrace Home Loans is a direct lender for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, approved by FHA and VA, and an issuer for Ginnie Mae. Embrace Home Loans has remained a prominent leader in the industry, having helped hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families purchase new homes, lower their monthly payments and consolidate high-interest debt since its inception. With 80+ offices and licensed in 46 states and D.C., Embrace has been recognized seven times as one of the Best Medium-sized Companies to Work for in America by Fortune and four times as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by Inc. The company has also been recognized eleven times as one of the Best Places to Work in Rhode Island and as the Most Community Involved Company in Rhode Island by Providence Business News. For more information, please visit www.embracehomeloans.com.
