Credible hires a new chief marketing officer

Alan Gellman will join Credible as CMO

It is the second big hire for the student loan fintech. 

Student loan fintech Credible has hired Alan Gellman as its first chief marketing officer, in a sign that the company is willing to ramp up its marketing spend. It also signals a change of track for a company that has relied heavily on word of mouth to fuel its growth.

Mr Gellman, who previously led digital marketing at Wells Fargo, said joining Credible will allow him to pursue his goal of helping start-ups grow.

“Credible's mission of helping consumers make smarter financial decisions is enormously appealing to me, and the opportunities for scaling the company's business are exciting,” he said.

“The disruptive approach to student lending -- where Credible provides clear choices and active guidance -- has tremendous potential to extend to other financial services categories.”

One of the first student loan fintechs, Credible recently expanded its offerings to include personal loans and a credit card marketplace.

The company claims that indebted alumni who refinance their student loans through Credible can save $18,000 over the life of their loan.

"We’re excited to welcome Alan to our team -- we share a vision for doing the right thing by consumers, and Alan’s experience is both significant and highly relevant,” said Stephen Dash, Credible’s CEO.

Mr Gellman’s appointment follows an announcement earlier this month that Ron Suber joined Credible as executive vice-chairman and a member of the board of directors.