Our People are Our Greatest Asset
Our Mission
At Navient, our mission is to enhance the financial success of our customers by delivering innovative solutions and insights with compassion and personalized service.
Our Values
Our core values support our vision and shape the culture of our company.
These values guide everything we do: how we interact with and serve our clients; how we hire, develop, and retain our people; and how we contribute to our communities as responsible corporate citizens.
These principles serve as the foundation for the passion, commitment, and integrity we bring to our business every day.
We strive to be the best.
By relentlessly pursuing the right solutions, we deliver on our promises to each other and those we serve.
We’re stronger together.
We succeed because we’re inclusive and authentic, and we know good ideas can come from anywhere and anyone.
We earn the trust of our customers and colleagues.
This is achieved by always holding each other accountable and acting with integrity.
We innovate always and everywhere.
We empower each other to think differently, develop ourselves, and grow our company.
Navient Leadership
Our leaders bring expertise from multiple industries, including education finance, government, and transportation management.
David L. Yowan
President & Chief Executive Officer
David L. Yowan
President & Chief Executive Officer
David L. Yowan is president and CEO of Navient. In 2017, he was appointed to the Navient Board of Directors and in 2023 he became CEO.
Dave previously was executive vice president and corporate treasurer of American Express. He has over 40 years of experience in risk management, balance sheet management, funding and liquidity, and in integrating financial management with business strategy.
During his time at American Express, he played a key role in navigating the financial crisis of 2008-2009. He led a significant transformation of the company's funding profile and the transition of American Express into a bank holding company.
Prior to joining American Express in 1999, Dave spent time at Citicorp in its global consumer banking business and before that at the Ayco Corporation, now a part of Goldman Sachs.
Dave earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.
Deanna Coloe
Vice President and Chief Audit Officer
Deanna Coloe
Vice President and Chief Audit Officer
Deanna Coloe serves as vice president and chief audit officer. In this role, she provides leadership and direction for Navient’s internal audit function with a focus on internal controls, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance. She reports directly to the Audit Committee of Navient’s Board of Directors and brings more than 25 years of audit and financial services experience to her role.
Deanna was appointed chief audit officer in 2024. She previously held various roles on the internal audit team since joining the company in 2011. Prior to that, she held roles at Protiviti in internal audit and within American Express’ controllership department. She began her career in public accounting with Deloitte and Touche.
She holds a B.A. in business economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is a certified internal auditor and a certified public accountant.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, two sons, and dogs. She enjoys being active and spends much of her free time cheering on her boys on the baseball field.
Joe Fisher
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Joe Fisher
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Joe Fisher serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer. In this role, he manages Navient’s financial strategies and operations, corporate development, and investor relations.
Joe was appointed CFO in 2020. He previously held various roles including vice president of investor relations and corporate development since joining the company in 2002. His B.S. in finance was earned at the University of Pittsburgh.
He lives with his wife and three children in Northern Virginia and is an avid sports fan. Much of his spare time involves supporting his children’s sports activities of lacrosse, soccer, and basketball.
Joe is a Chartered Financial Analyst and serves on the board of Building Hope, an education nonprofit dedicated to expanding opportunities for students and families in underserved communities.
David Green
Executive Vice President, Consumer Lending, and Chief Executive Officer of Earnest
David Green
Executive Vice President, Consumer Lending, and Chief Executive Officer of Earnest
David Green is executive vice president of Navient and CEO of Earnest, a fintech lender focused on education. David is responsible for Navient’s suite of education financing tools and services, which are offered under the Earnest and NaviRefi brands. He has broadened the scope of our impact, leading Earnest to become a top refinancer of student loans. Under his leadership, strategic initiatives include the acquisition of Going Merry, a national financial aid platform where students match to and apply for scholarships, institutional aid, and government grants through a single free application. He previously served as chief operating officer and chief product officer at Earnest, developing a keen sense for how to deliver on the company’s mission to make higher education attainable and affordable for everyone. During prior roles at Earnest, David oversaw lending product management, design, and engineering. He has also scaled the company from 20 employees to over 250 today and is passionate about training teams. Earnest joined the Navient family of companies in 2018.
Previously, David founded Poplar Finance, a fintech startup focused on eliminating the need for large security deposits in residential rentals. And as the vice president of business operations at the American Mortgage Consultants, he managed large operations teams of 300+ remote employees.
An avid outdoorsman, David enjoys mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and camping. He serves as a mentor for First Round Fast Track, advising early-stage operational leaders. David received his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from George Washington University. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two young sons.
Steve Hauber
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Steve Hauber
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Steve Hauber serves as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In this role, he is responsible for several oversight and corporate functions that support the company’s transition to a more focused, flexible, and streamlined organization. These include legal, risk, compliance, internal audit, human resources, and technology.
Most recently, Steve served as Navient’s chief risk and compliance officer, fostering a culture of accountability and sound credit, market, compliance, and operational performance. Previously, Steve served as Navient's chief audit officer, an independent role that reported directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
Steve previously held roles in internal audit and credit risk management at Sallie Mae and worked in public accounting at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Steve spends his free time with his wife and two daughters. He also likes to run, read, and is an avid sports fan.
Steve serves on the Board of Directors of Building Hope, an education nonprofit dedicated to expanding opportunities for students and families in underserved communities.
Judah Holland
Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Judah Holland
Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Judah Holland serves as senior vice president of strategic initiatives. In her role, she leads enterprise transformation strategy development and execution. She brings more than 25 years of broad experience in operations leadership, enterprise strategic planning, transaction management, and technical deployment. In addition, Judah chairs Navient’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Council, an employee-led group that creates programs and activities that shape the organizational culture.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from University of Phoenix, has a certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University, and a certificate in International Women’s Health and Human Rights from Stanford University.
She is a founding board member and chair for Rise Up Woman International, a nonprofit organization that partners with local leaders in Central Africa to provide woman and girls social and economic empowerment opportunities.
Judah lives with her husband and two daughters in Indiana and spends most of her free time traveling with friends and family.
John Kane
Group President, Business Processing Solutions
John Kane
Group President, Business Processing Solutions
John Kane serves as executive vice president and group president, business processing solutions. Our data driven business processing solutions enable our clients to focus on their missions and optimize their cash flow, and they enable individuals to successfully navigate complex programs, transactions, and decisions.
In 2008, John joined Sallie Mae to lead the asset recovery division, where he managed the development of a new loan modification program to assist student loan customers experiencing financial difficulties. In 2013, he oversaw a project to separate the company, creating Navient. Intense preparation led to a smooth transition, and in Navient's first year he served as chief operating officer.
John started his career as a customer assistance representative in a call center at MBNA, a credit card company that later became part of Bank of America.
A graduate from the University of Delaware with a degree in economics, John is an active New York sports fan who also enjoys spending time with friends and family, including his two children.
John serves on the board of the Freire Charter School Wilmington.
Matt Sheldon
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Matt Sheldon
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Matt Sheldon serves as senior vice president and general counsel, leading the company’s commitment to operate within the highest legal and regulatory standards.
Matt was appointed to the general counsel role in 2024. Since joining the company in 2013, Matt has held various other legal roles, including overseeing litigation and employment matters. Prior to joining Navient, Matt was a partner at Reed Smith LLP, a leading international law firm. He earned his J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree from Boston College.
Matt resides in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children and loves to spend time in the northern part of his beloved home state of Michigan.
Troy Standish
Executive Vice President, Asset Management and Business Processing Operations
Troy Standish
Executive Vice President, Asset Management and Business Processing Operations
Troy Standish serves as executive vice president, asset management and business processing operations, overseeing service delivery and customer experience for a variety of government clients, as well as loan operations for Navient’s student loan portfolio.
Troy joined the company in 2000, through the acquisition of Pioneer Credit Recovery. One of his first positions was in the call center helping customers with their loans. For the past more than 20 years, he has held various operational leadership roles throughout the company.
He is an active volunteer in the greater Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, area. He serves as a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, a partnership of business leaders dedicated to making the success of every child in Pennsylvania a top priority. He has served as chair of the board of both the United Way of Wyoming Valley and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry.
Outside of work, Troy enjoys spending time with his wife and engaging in sports and activities with their three children. Troy is also an avid fly fisherman.
Our Board of Directors
Learn more about our board and our commitments to corporate controls and oversight on the Corporate Governance page.
Linda A. Mills
Chair of the Board of Directors
Linda A. Mills
Chair of the Board of Directors
Linda A. Mills is former corporate vice president of operations for Northrop Grumman, a leading global security provider of advanced solutions for defense, intelligence, civil agency and commercial customers. At Northrop Grumman, Ms. Mills was responsible for driving effective operations to maximize performance, innovation and affordability. She was directly responsible for the company’s programs, quality, technology and engineering areas, aimed at improving the company’s profitability and competitive edge.
With her background in large scale, complex businesses, Ms. Mills brings significant general management and executive experience to our Board, including experience in technology, business transformation, cyber, strategic thinking and leadership skills from having served as president of a multi-billion dollar information technology business and as corporate vice president for operations at Northrop Grumman.
Ms. Mills was recognized as a 2017 Directorship honoree by NACD and is a frequent speaker on various board governance topics. Ms. Mills was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune magazine and received the Federal 100 Award from Federal Computer Week, recognizing government and industry leaders who have played pivotal roles in the federal government IT community. Ms. Mills serves on the board of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the board of visitors for the University of Illinois College of Engineering. In addition to Navient, Ms. Mills also serves on the board of directors of American International Group, Inc. (AIG).
Edward Bramson
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Edward Bramson
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Edward Bramson is partner of Sherborne Investors Management LP and joined the Board in 2022. Mr. Bramson has extensive business experience as a Chief Executive Officer, including seven publicly traded companies in the consumer products, electronics and regulated financial services sectors. He co-founded Sherborne Investors in 1986. The firm manages private and public equity turnaround investments and is Navient’s largest shareholder. Mr. Bramson has worked successfully with people from diverse backgrounds, and brings to our Board valuable experience in creating long-term value for shareholders.
Frederick Arnold
Frederick Arnold
Frederick Arnold has been a Navient director since August 2018. He previously held a series of senior financial positions at private equity-owned portfolio companies. Prior to these roles, Mr. Arnold spent 20 years as an investment banker, primarily at Lehman Brothers and Smith Barney, where he served as managing director and head of European corporate finance. He also serves as a board member of FS KKR, FS Investment Corporation II, FS Investment Corporation III, and FS Investment Corporation IV, as a board member of Syncora Holdings Ltd., and is a member of the post-emergence board of directors of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Anna Escobedo Cabral
Anna Escobedo Cabral
Anna Escobedo Cabral has been a Navient director since December 2014. She previously served as Treasurer of the United States of America from 2004 to 2009. In this role, she oversaw the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint. In addition, she led the Treasury's community development and public outreach efforts, including financial education initiatives designed to increase financial literacy and remove barriers to Americans' success. From 2009 to 2018, Ms. Cabral served as senior advisor for external relations at the Inter-American Development Bank. She also has served as director of the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Latino Initiatives and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility. Ms. Cabral is a second-generation Mexican-American, whose parents labored in the fields of southern California. She has served as chair of the Financial Services Roundtable Retirement Security Council and is a member of MANA, a national Latina organization.
Larry A. Klane
Larry A. Klane
Larry A. Klane joined the Navient board in May 2019. He is a Co-Founding Principal at Pivot Investment Partners LLC, an investment firm founded in 2014 that is exclusively focused on financial technology and financial services companies. Prior to Pivot, Mr. Klane was the Global Financial Institutions Leader at Cerberus Capital Management. He joined Cerberus after serving as Chair and CEO of Korea Exchange Bank, a leading publicly-traded Korean commercial and retail bank. Mr. Klane was President of the Global Financial Services division of Capital One Financial Corporation from 2000 to 2008. He currently serves as a director of Nexi Group S.p.A, a leading privately held company in Italian payments, as well as Ethoca Limited, a privately held global network between issuers and merchants. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Verifone Systems, Inc. and Aozora Bank.
Michael Lawson
Michael Lawson
Michael Lawson has been a Navient director since August 2020. He is currently a partner at Ellis George LLP. Before that, Lawson was named president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, where he served for six years, and was previously nominated by President Obama to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency. From 1980 until his retirement in 2011, he practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. As a partner, he led the executive compensation and benefits group for the Los Angeles office as well as worked on a wide variety of issues, including structured finance transactions and proxy contests.
Jane J. Thompson
Jane J. Thompson
Jane J. Thompson is the chief executive officer of Jane J. Thompson Financial Services LLC, a management consulting firm, and a founding member of the Navient Board of Directors. Ms. Thompson has led multi-billion dollar organizations in financial services, most recently as president of Walmart Financial Services, a division of Walmart Stores, Inc. Previously, she led the Sears Credit, Sears Home Services, and Sears Online groups at Sears, Roebuck & Co., she served as a partner at McKinsey & Co. Inc., and in brand management and marketing at Procter & Gamble. She is also a director of OnDeck Capital, Inc. and Mitek Systems, Inc.
David L. Yowan
David L. Yowan
David L. Yowan is president and CEO of Navient. In 2017, he was appointed to the Navient Board of Directors and in 2023 he became CEO.
Dave previously was executive vice president and corporate treasurer of American Express. He has over 40 years of experience in risk management, balance sheet management, funding and liquidity, and in integrating financial management with business strategy.
During his time at American Express, he played a key role in navigating the financial crisis of 2008-2009. He led a significant transformation of the company's funding profile and the transition of American Express into a bank holding company.
Prior to joining American Express in 1999, Dave spent time at Citicorp in its global consumer banking business and before that at the Ayco Corporation, now a part of Goldman Sachs.
Dave earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.