Brandon Gerena

Background:
Our project addressed a critical challenge: the existing agent experience at New York Life had become outdated and was failing to meet the evolving needs of agents.

Objective:
Over a year-long initiative, I spearheaded a team dedicated to revolutionizing this experience. Our goal was to craft, develop, and implement a new, human-centered, mobile-first design. This experience was not only tailored to meet the immediate needs of agents – such as access to calendars… Show more

Background:
Our project addressed a critical challenge: the existing agent experience at New York Life had become outdated and was failing to meet the evolving needs of agents.

Objective:
Over a year-long initiative, I spearheaded a team dedicated to revolutionizing this experience. Our goal was to craft, develop, and implement a new, human-centered, mobile-first design. This experience was not only tailored to meet the immediate needs of agents – such as access to calendars, research tools, performance data, and collaborative resources – but also to incorporate forward-thinking features that would bolster marketing distribution efforts.

Key Achievements:

Strategic Leadership:
- Championed the integration of cutting-edge MarTech solutions, alongside data analytics and CRM systems.
- Conducted in-depth primary research with stakeholders to align our strategy with their real-world needs.

Design and Development:
- Followed a human-centered design approach, laying a robust foundation for enhanced agent interactions.
- Created versatile marketing templates and customer segmentation tools, empowering agents with sophisticated, yet user-friendly resources.

Data and Integration:
- Collaborated with leadership to centralize customer data, establishing a unified ID system across channels.
- Leveraged best-in-class cloud platforms from Adobe and Salesforce, ensuring a seamless, integrated experience.

Operational Transformation:
- Introduced a new operating model and innovative ways of working, guaranteeing long-term adoption and efficiency.

Results:
This transformative initiative led to remarkable outcomes:
- Significantly increased agent efficiency, streamlining operations and enhancing productivity.
- Notably boosted new policy conversions, directly contributing to business growth and success. Show less

Background:
In response to declining profits in their traditional operations, Goldman Sachs sought innovative strategies for growth. Addressing this need, I was a key lead spearheading the creation of a new digital banking entity: Marcus by Goldman Sachs.

Objective:
My primary role over this year-long journey was guiding Goldman Sachs leadership through the conception and development of Marcus. This involved assembling a specialized team, conducting market research, segmentation… Show more

Background:
In response to declining profits in their traditional operations, Goldman Sachs sought innovative strategies for growth. Addressing this need, I was a key lead spearheading the creation of a new digital banking entity: Marcus by Goldman Sachs.

Objective:
My primary role over this year-long journey was guiding Goldman Sachs leadership through the conception and development of Marcus. This involved assembling a specialized team, conducting market research, segmentation, and consulting on the selection of digital platforms, experience design, organizational modeling, and agile development.

Key Achievements:

Strategic Development and Vision:
- Identified and implemented cutting-edge cloud-based MarTech, AdTech, data, and CRM systems.
- Conceptualized and designed a performance marketing organization.
- Spearheaded lead generation across Direct Mail, Programmatic Advertising, Landing Pages, and Call Centers.

Innovative Design and Technology Implementation:
- Oversaw the implementation of the entire Adobe Experience Cloud suite.
- Integrated Acxiom data to pinpoint pre-qualified leads for personal loans.
- Developed segmentation in the DMP for effective cross-channel prospecting.
- Engineered dynamic landing pages tailored to user segments and referral sources.

Organizational and Operational Transformation:
- Managed the transition of traditional marketers to an agile, start-up environment.
- Fostered a culture of trust in the vision and adaptability, crucial for building new systems simultaneously.

Results:
The launch of Marcus by Goldman Sachs marked a significant milestone in digital banking innovation:
- The platform successfully attracted over 10,000 personal loan customers in its first year.
- Garnered numerous industry awards and recognition, underscoring its impact and success. Show less