Rocket names former Airbnb executive chief marketing officer

Rocket has brought on a former Airbnb executive, naming Jonathan Mildenhall as head of marketing for all business areas.

Mildenhall will take on the newly created role of chief marketing officer at Detroit-based Rocket. Appointment of fintech executive Varun Krishna He was appointed CEO last summer. Mildenhall’s hiring comes at a time when the company is increasingly seeking to accelerate its technology capabilities in mortgage and real estate services in the face of the anticipated future. Pivoting towards artificial intelligence and automation.

“Jonathan is one of the world’s top marketing minds, with a reputation for consistently delivering compelling campaigns that cut through complexity and are socially relevant,” Krishna said in a press release. ” he said.

Mr. Mildenhall previously served as the first chief marketing officer of short-term rental platform Airbnb, where he helped guide the company in its early years. Early in his career, Mildenhall led Coca-Cola Company’s marketing efforts as vice president of global advertising strategy and content excellence.

After working at Airbnb, he co-founded branding and marketing consultancy Twentyfirstcenturybrand in 2018. The company’s customers include Pinterest, Linkedin, Nextdoor, and Walmart. Mr. Mildenhall will continue to serve as the company’s chairman and oversee Rocket’s marketing strategy.

“Our mission is to create a comprehensive marketing campaign that responds to the extraordinary social impact that rockets create every day,” Mildenhall said.

In addition to well-known mortgage brands, other businesses operating under the company’s umbrella include Rocket Homes, Amrock, Rocket Money, and Rocket Loans. Each brand’s marketing and communications team will report directly to Mildenhall.

The marketing veteran came to the company because of a concerted effort to jointly promote Rocket Mortgage with other subsidiaries and provide customers with additional services free of charge to expand their customer base. Ta.Notably, the company strengthened its relationship with Between mortgage lenders and personal finance appsRocket Money, it’s Acquired under original name Truebill in 2021.

Rocket also makes no secret of its goal of becoming an artificial intelligence innovator in the mortgage industry. Announced the tool late last year Designed to answer frequently asked questions from loan officers.Made by Rocket Holmes AI-powered home search app now available on Apple Carplay In the same way.

Bose George, managing director of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, said Roquette’s appointment of Krishna as CEO this summer supports the company’s goal of becoming a technology leader. He said at the time that he emphasized this clearly. Krishna has leadership experience at consumer technology-based brands Intuit and Paypal. Last week, the Rockets granted him additional leadership authority. Appoint him to the Board as a Class III Director.