Guaranteed Rate Expands Roles of Chris Knapp and James Elliott to Lead Nationwide Sales and Recruiting Efforts

Chicago, Nov. 29, 2017 --

Chris Knapp James Elliott

Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the nation, today announced the promotion and broadened scope of responsibilities for Senior Vice Presidents and Divisional Managers James Elliott and Chris Knapp who, in addition to their current roles, will lead the company’s nationwide sales and recruiting program.  Knapp, whose new title is Executive Vice President of National Retail Production – East, will manage production in the Eastern half of the country while Elliott, as Executive Vice President of National Retail Production – West, will focus on the Western half.

“James and Chris are industry veterans with an incredible depth of knowledge,” says Chief Executive Officer and Founder Victor Ciardelli.  “They are also both amazing mentors to the loan officers who serve in their regions and true leaders at Guaranteed Rate. Their dedication to attracting the best of the best to Guaranteed Rate is unmatched and we’re thrilled they are taking on these additional challenges.”

Knapp, who has been with the company for nearly a decade, oversees sales, management and recruiting within Guaranteed Rate’s Central, East and Southeast markets.  His entrepreneurial background as a mortgage business owner and problem-solving style have been tremendous assets to the company during his tenure. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Miami University.  Divisional Managers John Palmiotto, Denis St. Marie and Jeff Nelson will report directly to Knapp.

“There is simply no better place to work in this industry than Guaranteed Rate; just as we make our customers’ lives easier, we also focus on making our loan officers’ lives easier,” says Knapp. “The company is uniquely positioned to offer originators the best technology, impeccable operational support and an amazing work-life balance. As an originator who tripled my business and became a top 1% producer after joining Guaranteed Rate, I’m excited to share our value proposition with an even wider range of candidates who want to reach their potential in this industry.”

After 12 years serving as CEO of a highly successful regional mortgage company, Elliott joined Guaranteed Rate in 2013. He oversees all facets of retail production for the company in the West, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Mountain and Plains states markets. Instilling in his elite teams the practices and core values that drive the company’s success, he is focused on organic growth, recruiting the best talent and creating new ways to improve the borrower experience.  He is a University of Wisconsin – Madison alum with a BBA in Marketing and Management.  Divisional Managers Julia Borst and Pat Bolan will report directly to Elliott.

“Guaranteed Rate’s platform and value proposition are second to none,” says Elliott.  “From origination to closing, all aspects of the loan process are easier here than at any other company. Apart from that, the atmosphere at Guaranteed Rate promotes a healthy work-life balance. We encourage people to work hard, but we also want them to spend time with their families. Much of what I do is making Guaranteed Rate a place where people want to be. I’m very proud of the team I’ve assembled and look forward to continuing our exponential growth across the Western half of the U.S. as we head into the new year.”

Candidates interested in career opportunities with Guaranteed Rate can visit JoinGRNow.com for more information.  To learn more about Guaranteed Rate’s leadership, visit Rate.com/about-us/leadership.

About Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has approximately 195 offices across the U.S. and Washington, D.C., and is licensed in all 50 states. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded nearly $23 billion in loans in 2016 alone. The company has become the Home Purchase Experts® by introducing the world's first Digital Mortgage technology and offering low rate, low fee mortgages through an easy-to-understand process and unparalleled customer service. Guaranteed Rate won an American Business Award for its Digital Mortgage technology in 2016, ranked No. 1 in Scotsman Guide's Top Mortgage Lenders 2016, was chosen as Top Lender 2016 and 2017 by Chicago Agent magazine and made the Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list seven of the past eight years. Visit Rate.com for more information.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/687d135e-f66f-46ec-87f1-9054bb7988d2

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/42352168-9e9d-40ab-8e54-ebd18e8b3858

Linda Marsicano
Guaranteed Rate
773-354-2004
[email protected]