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).

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 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 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.

Katherine A. Lehman is the managing partner of Hilltop Private Capital who had been on Navient’s board since 2014. Previously, Ms. Lehman was managing director at Lincolnshire Management, a private equity firm focused on middle market companies. During her time at Lincolnshire, she led an execution and portfolio management team and participated on the Investment Committee. Before joining Lincolnshire in 2001, Ms. Lehman worked at Conifer Capital Group and at PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities LLC. She is Chair of the Stella-Jones (TSX:SJ) Board of Directors. Ms. Lehman previously served as a Governing Board Member of The Robert Toigo Foundation, an organization committed to enhancing diversity in the financial services industry and a director of the New York Private Equity Network.

John (Jack) F. Remondi is president and CEO of Navient, since 2014. He previously served as president, CEO and director of Sallie Mae, leading the company through the strategic restructuring that created Navient in 2014. Mr. Remondi also previously served as Sallie Mae president and COO, providing a critical leadership role for the company following the end of the private sector federal student loan program, and prior to that, he served as vice chairman and chief financial officer, helping the company successfully navigate the challenges posed by the economic crisis. Mr. Remondi first joined Sallie Mae in 1999 upon the company’s acquisition of Nellie Mae, and served as a key player in the company’s transformation from a government-sponsored entity to a fully private, retail-focused organization. He is chairman of the Board of Directors of Reading Is Fundamental, a trustee of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and a trustee of Cubesmart, a real estate investment trust.

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.

Laura S. Unger is a financial services advisor specializing in regulatory and legislative policy. Ms. Unger was a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including six months as acting chairman of the SEC from 1997 to 2002. Previously, she served as counsel to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and was an attorney in the enforcement division of the SEC. She has been a special advisor at Promontory Financial Group and was named as the independent consultant to JPMorgan for the global analyst conflict of interest settlement. Ms. Unger is a board member of the Children’s National Medical Center Foundation, and director of Nomura Securities and Nomura Global Financial Products. In addition to Navient, she also serves as director of two other public companies, CA Technologies and CIT Group.

David L. Yowan has been a director of Navient since April 2017, and currently sits on the Audit and Finance and Operations Committees. He is Executive Vice President and Corporate Treasurer of American Express, bringing expertise in risk management, balance sheet management, asset securitization and strategy. As corporate treasurer, he led a significant transformation of the company's funding profile from a wholesale-funded institution to one with more diversified funding sources. Prior to joining American Express in 1999, Mr. Yowan worked for Citicorp for more than 10 years, with experience in consumer banking.

"We have the opportunity to grow Navient in ways people haven't thought of or even seen before now. We have the advantages, the skill set and the strength to identify opportunities, articulate them both internally and externally and act on them."

While growing up in the Boston area, Jack Remondi and his father often discussed the stock market. “I was very interested in business,” Jack recalls. On his 10th birthday, Jack got his first share of stock as a gift. By age 26, Jack was a chief financial officer.

At Navient, Jack oversees a company with approximately 6,000 employees in 10-plus states, helping our clients and millions of Americans achieve financial success.

Going to college was always a goal. "I view education as a gateway to advancement," Jack says. "It can take someone from any background and put them on a positive path."

Jack, who studied economics at Connecticut College, worked summers and took out some student loans.

After graduating, he started his career in a Boston bank's corporate training program. At that time, the bank had just started working with student loan companies, including Nellie Mae.

As part of his job, he helped companies like Nellie Mae arrange the financing to run its programs. In 1988, Nellie Mae asked him to join the company as its CFO.

"It was an exciting opportunity," he says. "I'd previously handled transactions, and I wanted to be part of the decision-making process," he says. "It was a tremendous learning experience. It also gave me the opportunity to develop my management skills. Because the company was small at that time, I had to learn all aspects of the business, including loan origination and processing and all the federal rules associated with the business." He didn't just look at the numbers but he looked at the processes, programs and people behind those numbers.

In 1999, Sallie Mae purchased Nellie Mae, and Jack held several positions, including executive vice president of corporate finance. He was instrumental in taking Sallie Mae from a government-sponsored entity to a fully private, retail-focused organization. He was as comfortable talking to investors as he was talking to the board, which is still true today.

In 2005, Jack left Sallie Mae to become portfolio manager of PAR Capital Management, a Boston-based private investment management firm, and he rejoined Sallie Mae in 2008 as vice chairman and CFO. He was named CEO in 2013, after having held the role of president and COO and leading the company's loan servicing, collections, information and communications divisions.

"I love being able to work with a team and help motivate them toward a common goal," he says.

At Navient, one of those goals is helping students repay their loans. "We recognize the difficult environment that some of our customers are entering after graduation and the financial implications of student loan debt. But repayment is critical for students to realize the full value of their degrees, develop a strong credit profile and build the foundation for a solid financial future."

The father of two children, he admires people who have strong principles and stands by them. "I've taken to heart the advice that no matter what you do, do the best that you can do," he says. "Taking a job and not giving it everything you've got is simply not acceptable."

"We consistently evaluate our operating model dynamics to find better, more efficient ways of doing business. As a growing company, it's particularly important for us to challenge the status quo as we build the foundation for Navient's future, while ensuring the success of our clients and customers."

John Kane began his business career at a young age. When he was 10 years old, he started a newspaper route and later held numerous part-time jobs. That early work experience has helped build the foundation for his current role as group president, business processing solutions, at Navient.

"With each job, I learned more about how businesses operate. And although Navient's operations are arguably more complicated than my paper route, those basics still hold true."

After graduating from the University of Delaware in 1990 with a degree in economics, John took a job as a customer assistance representative in the collections department at MBNA, a credit card company.

"It provided valuable insight into the customer experience." During his 17 years with MBNA, John held numerous roles in operations, information technology, and business analytics.

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.

"The program helped customers get back on the path to successful repayment," he says. "It was gratifying to read their success stories."

He later went on to manage credit operations and create an enterprise project management group. In 2013, he oversaw the strategic corporate project that separated the company into two new entities: Sallie Mae and Navient. Intense preparation led to a smooth transition, and in Navient's first year of launch he served as chief operating officer.

"We did our best to anticipate and prepare for the unexpected, knowing curve balls were inevitable with a project of this scale."

As Navient's group president for business processing solutions, John oversees federal, state and local collections businesses, and portfolio management, which recover billions of dollars on behalf of clients and taxpayers while also assisting customers on the path to financial success.

Born in New York City, John continues to be an active New York sports fan who also enjoys spending time with friends and family, including his two children.

At Navient, John is focused on quality client service and growth. He says, "In today's environment, it's more important than ever that we evaluate our business from all angles if we are to anticipate issues and act on opportunities quickly."

Kelly Christiano was first in her family to go to college, and her undergraduate degree set her on a path for success. Her 30-year career spans multiple industries and disciplines, and she has earned a reputation for innovation and flawless execution in both start-ups and Fortune 500 firms.

She joined Navient as executive vice president in May 2021, where she leads consumer lending initiatives that capitalize on the company's extensive experience to provide responsible, innovative products that benefit consumers.

Previously, Christiano led IGI Enterprises, where she provided leadership consulting to a wide range of organizations, including serving two years as chief marketing officer of Transact, a leading payments company serving colleges and universities. Earlier, she succeeded in a number of senior executive roles at Sallie Mae, launching the firm’s online banking business, running sales and product management for the company's private student loan business and growing market share while launching new products and partnerships.

Her previous experiences included VIPdesk, the country’s first home-based agent concierge and call center company, where, as president, Christiano drove growth that earned recognition from Inc. 500, Deloitte Fast 500, and Working Woman Magazine. At Aramark Corporation, Christiano devised the first field-based information technology support team, as well as the company’s first e-business product. She also succeeded in diverse roles in field operations, marketing, information technology and product development.

Christiano received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

When she’s not working, Christiano enjoys spending time with her husband, two stepchildren and extended family. She also likes to cook, cheer on her favorite football teams and is currently writing a novel.

Knowing the intricate details behind the numbers is a critical part of every chief financial officer’s job. Joe Fisher, who was named Navient’s executive vice president and CFO in October 2020, has long followed that approach as an investor relations and finance professional.

He most recently served as Navient’s vice president of Investor Relations and Corporate Development, giving him extensive experience with and knowledge of the company’s operations, finances and strategy. In that role, Joe also worked closely with Navient’s board of directors, investors and leadership team.

Joe started his professional career at Sallie Mae as an intern in the credit department. Then from 2002 until 2014 at Sallie Mae, he held various roles with increasing responsibility, including managing director of Investor Relations.

Joe, who spent his childhood in Connecticut and Ocean City, Maryland, earned a B.S. in finance at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of both the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Washington, D.C.

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 also serves on the board of Building Hope, an education nonprofit dedicated to expanding opportunities for underserved students and families.

"As Navient expands into new lines of business and finds new ways to help customers, our job is to make sure we're up to speed on any risks and that we do things the right way and we do them well – for the company, for our customers and for our investors."

Goal-oriented and results-driven are two words to describe Steve Hauber. The Maryland native developed his action plan approach while playing competitive sports, which also instilled a sense of fairness, he says.

Both attributes are important to his job as the head of risk and compliance at Navient, where Steve is responsible for maintaining and fostering a culture of accountability in the company's operations to ensure Navient maintains sound credit, market, compliance and operational performance.

Steve earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He credits these experiences with realizing the value of education.

"Education is an extraordinary value in terms of providing the training that will put you in a position to get a good job," he says. "For me, it was also a bridge to adulthood. It gave me a sense of community that lasts to this day. I also met my wife in college. It’s more than just a degree."

A certified public accountant, Steve worked in public accounting at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. That experience gave him exposure to a diverse number of clients and industries.

"I enjoyed learning about each client's business and how that business was reflected in the financial statements that I was exposed to," he says. "I also took pleasure in getting to know our clients' personnel and their roles; I had an insider's view of many companies' cultures, and I could see how it impacted their success."

He joined Sallie Mae in 2003, where he held roles in internal audit and credit risk management.

From 2014 to 2017, Steve served as Navient's chief audit officer, an independent role that reported directly to the board of directors' audit committee.

Today, as the company's chief risk and compliance officer, Steve ensures Navient has an appropriate risk management strategy in place, while overseeing credit risk and compliance.

"I'm excited about the future of Navient," he says. "We will continue to do things well and help our customers achieve success."

When he's not working, Steve spends time with his wife and two daughters. He also likes to run, read, watch sports, and coach his daughter's basketball team.

"It's all about putting the time in, whether it's sports, school, work or something else. You have to do it and do it well. You may not need to be the tallest or fastest on the field or the smartest person in the room. Those things you can't control. But you can try to be the most prepared and the hardest working."

In high school, Mark Heleen was more interested in what was happening outside of the classroom than what was going on inside it. "I played baseball and hockey and ran cross-country and track," he says.

Mark eventually applied the determination he developed in sports to his academics. He majored in political science and minored in Soviet studies. He then studied law and foreign policy at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mark's ability to change his course and still go the distance has served him well. At Navient, he manages the company's legal operations. "We do everything from employment law, to intellectual property, to litigation to corporate transactions – all the things a traditional full service law firm does."

One of five children, Mark grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Mark's interest in finance goes back to his first real summer job as a teller. That job, along with money from his parents and student loans, helped pay for college.

As a young lawyer with student loans to repay, he worked at a law firm that represented a bank, and in 1995, he became the senior counsel for Pittsburgh National Bank, the predecessor to today's PNC Financial, now the eighth-largest bank in the U.S.

When Mark and his wife made the decision to move from Pittsburgh to the D.C. area, he found a local job with Sallie Mae. "It was a great fit and even better timing," he says. He worked his way up from associate general counsel to executive vice president and general counsel.

Following his departure from Sallie Mae in 2010, Mark worked as a consultant for several start-up student lenders and investment banks. Mark then accepted a position with the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he continued to work with student loan legal topics.

Mark joined Navient in 2014 and was named general counsel in 2015. He takes to heart the company's mission to help customers navigate the path to financial success.

"We're here to help," he says. "That's our goal."

"I'm proud that Lisa and I seem to have raised two healthy, well-adjusted kids," he says. Professionally, he's proud to serve as general counsel, and describes himself as a "transaction geek," who loves the accomplishment of setting a business goal and seeing it through.

"I believe in Navient's mission of helping our customers pursue their dreams through education. We are a company founded on the belief that doing the right things for students and their families can go a long way. Team Navient has that same goal and we’re able to truly make a difference in people's lives. That's very motivating."

Spend some time with Jennifer Walker and you’ll learn two things: She is driven to achieve the best outcome for her company and its customers and she believes the best results come from working collaboratively. Growing up in a small, rural Virginia town, Jennifer learned early on that hard work, honesty, and pulling your own weight were expected, and that if at first you don’t succeed, try again.

Jennifer’s mother, a sixth-grade teacher, taught her the importance of education and instilled a love of continuous learning. Her father, a self-employed general contractor, gave her an appreciation of having a strong work ethic while remaining flexible to changing circumstances. Thanks to these early role models, today, Jennifer has a keen ability to take in new information quickly, prioritize needs and effect change.

Jennifer earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. She waited tables to supplement a scholarship and savings her parents and grandparents set aside for her. "My education most definitely has shaped my world view. It reinforced the importance and valuable skillset of 'learning how to learn' and taught me to evaluate critically, and gave me the confidence to speak-up, ask questions, and make tough choices. Those lessons have guided me throughout my professional career."

After graduating, Jennifer was a software analyst for a healthcare consulting company before moving to the position of Technology Risk Consulting Manager at a big six accounting firm. A detail-driven person by nature, the new role suited her well and her career took off. She quickly embraced the culture and the role, learning and applying the methodologies and processes, developing a sound understanding of the important balance of risk and control, and seeking out ways to mitigate risk and improve processes to benefit her company and her clients.

Later, Jennifer held internal auditing roles at Protiviti, Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae. She joined Navient as vice president of internal audit where she provided oversight of audits and lead reviews of business operations, regulatory compliance, and information security and technology.

In 2017, Jennifer was appointed chief audit officer, and in that capacity is responsible for the examination, evaluation, and independent and objective assessment of Navient’s internal control system. She reports directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, a best practice in corporate governance.

Jennifer credits her persistent, inquisitive nature, a collaborative and authentic leadership style, and a willingness to "tackle the hard stuff" with her success. "I'm constantly absorbing new information," Jennifer says. "As part of a business that is adapting and changing, the learning process will only continue – and that's exciting. I'm incredibly passionate about the important work we do."

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys staying active and spending time with her husband and two young boys. She places a high priority on health and exercise and enjoys pushing herself to the next level. She's also an avid reader and always keeps a good book on hand.

Your concerns are very important to us. A response to your issue will be provided as soon as possible and often depends on the level of research required.

When submitting an inquiry, please provide your name, address, and telephone number.

Please send your inquiry by email to advocate@navient.com.

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Office of the Customer Advocate
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