NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Better, a leading digital homeownership company, today announced several senior hires to bolster its leadership team and position the company for sustainable long-term growth. Appointments include Sushil Sharma as the company’s first Chief Growth Officer and Steve Riddell as Better’s new Head of Sales.
“Better’s mission to make homeownership simpler, faster, and more affordable instantly drew me in,” said Sharma. “A home is much more than a place to live: it provides stability to raise a family and is one of the biggest financial assets an individual can own. I am excited to join Better’s senior leadership and help people achieve their American dream.”
As Better’s first Chief Growth Officer, Sharma brings more than 20 years of experience in product management and software engineering, having previously served as Chief Product Officer at LendingTree, where he scaled the company’s marketplace and myLendingTree logged-in ecosystem. Prior to LendingTree, Sharma was Chief Product Officer at Match, where he helped the company go public and led product, marketing analytics, CRM and revenue. He holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an MS in Computer Science & Engineering from The University of Texas Arlington, where he currently serves on the COE Board of Advisors.
“Better is committed to removing the complexity around homeownership and tailoring solutions to the needs of its customers,” said Riddell. “We are only scratching the surface of what is possible on this platform, and I look forward to delivering the best experience possible to the individuals and families that rely on us every single day.”
Riddell brings over 30 years of executive sales experience as Better’s new Head of Sales. His previous roles include: Head of Customer Experience at Casper, Chief Sales Officer of Telesales at Sprint, and Chief Sales Officer at Blinds.com, which was acquired by Home Depot. He received both his MBA and BBA in Management and Marketing from Abilene Christian University.
"In only six years, Better has originated nearly $100B of mortgages," said Vishal Garg, CEO and founder of Better. "Expanding our team with seasoned pros who are still fast, hungry, and eager will be pivotal to achieving our next phase of growth."
The build-out of Better’s executive team includes strategic veteran hires and internal promotions that bring decades of leadership experience to the table. These new appointments include:
- Ryan Jewison, Head of Better Cover- Jewison brings 19 years of experience leading sales and growth. He previously served as SVP of National Expansion at US Bank, VP of New Markets at Doma, and VP of Sales at Elavon;
- Nick Taylor, Head of Better Real Estate - Taylor’s 18 years of experience in real estate and prop-tech include 9 years at Zillow in sales & strategy and 3+ years as SVP of growth at Modus;
- Josh Durodola, Head of Better Services - Durodola previously served as Better’s Director of Strategy and Operations. Before joining Better, he worked at McKinsey & Company as an Engagement Manager;
- Brian Ro, VP of People - Ro has 16 years of human capital experience. He previously led total rewards and compensation strategy at Deloitte, Zeigler, Ripple, Chekr, and GoPuff;
- Jennifer Malin, VP of Enterprise Risk - Malin has over 20 years of experience in the legal industry, including 15 years as a Partner with global law firm Winston & Strawn, where Malin focused on complex commercial litigation; and, finally
- Nitin Bhutani, VP of Marketing - Bhutani brings over 20 years of marketing experience. He previously served as VP of Marketing at HSBC, VP of Marketing at LendingTree, and VP of Marketing at J.G. Wentworth.
With offices in New York City, Charlotte, Oakland, Irvine, and Gurgaon, Better plans to continue bolstering its team in order to provide the best homeownership experience possible for its customers.
About Better
Founded in 2016, Better is a digital-first homeownership company whose affiliates provide mortgage, real estate, title and homeowners insurance services. In 2021, Better Mortgage funded approximately $58B in home loans, Better Real Estate completed over $2B in real estate transaction volume, and Better Cover and Better Settlement Services provided over $22B in insurance coverage. The company was ranked #1 on LinkedIn’s Top Startups List for 2021 and 2020, #1 on Fortune’s Best Small and Medium Workplaces in New York, #15 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 2020 list, as well as being listed to Forbes FinTech 50 for 2020, For more information, follow @betterdotcom.
