Harit Talwar Joins Digital Homeownership Company Better as Chairman
In a New Role, Talwar Will Provide Strategic Direction and Guide Better’s Evolution
May 9, 2022, New York, NY – Better, one of the fastest-growing digital homeownership companies, announced today that Harit Talwar, a proven innovator in the financial industry with deep expertise in building and scaling successful financial services businesses, has joined Better’s Board of Directors in the newly-created role of non-executive Chairman. In this role, Talwar will lead the Board, collaborating closely with CEO Vishal Garg, Interim President and CFO Kevin Ryan and the rest of the senior leadership team to provide strategic direction to achieve Better’s long-term goals.
“I am delighted that Harit has decided to bring his knowledge, expertise and proven track record in consumer finance to Better in support of our mission of making homeownership simpler, faster and more accessible for all Americans,” said Vishal Garg, Founder and CEO of Better. “I look forward to working closely with Harit to take our business to the next level and bring our vision to life.”
Talwar has over 35 years of experience as a leader in scaling and running large businesses in regulated markets across economic cycles in the US, Europe and Asia. Most recently, Talwar was the founder of Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Goldman’s successful entry into the consumer business. In this role he spearheaded the development of a modern, digital consumer platform inside the 150 year-old investment bank. Today, less than six years after launch, Marcus has 13 million customers, $110 billion in deposits and $15 billion in loan and card balances, and partnerships/ products with leading brands across industries, including Apple Card. Previously, Talwar worked at Discover Financial Services as president of US Cards, EVP of Discover Payments, and chief marketing officer. Before that, he was managing director of Morgan Stanley's Consumer Banking Group International and held various senior roles across countries at Citigroup. Talwar currently serves on the Boards of Mastercard and Apexon, a digital services company. He is also the Board co-chair of the American India Foundation, a member of Asia Society Global Board of Trustees and founder trustee of the Ashoka University in India.
“Throughout my career, I have been energized by how we can use technology to make life simpler and more transparent for consumers and help them improve their financial lives. Home ownership is one of the most important milestones in a person's life, and yet there are significant gaps when it comes to buying or financing. Since launching, Better has built an impressive business to address the needs of homeowners. I'm delighted to work with Vishal, Kevin, the board, and the Better team to scale the business and create a best-in-class culture,” said Talwar.
Throughout 2022, Better’s leadership team and Board have been focused on ensuring that Better has the right teams and skill sets in place to meet the needs of its business and position the company for future growth. As part of these initiatives, Sushil Sharma and Richard Benson-Armer joined Better in Q1 2022 as Chief Growth Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer, respectively.
About Better
Founded in 2016, Better is a digital-first homeownership company whose affiliates include mortgage, real estate, title, and homeowners insurance. In the period ending in September 2021, Better Mortgage funded over $45B in home loans and Better Plus, including Better Cover and Better Settlement Services, provided over $70 million in coverage. Better has raised over $400M in equity capital since inception. 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 @betterdocom.