Dallas-Based Workforce Finance Startup Taps Financial Services Industry Veteran as Chief Compliance Officer

Meredith Garland-Hannifin joins Meritize as Chief Compliance Officer bringing more than two decades of experience in compliance, governance and regulatory experience

FRISCO, Texas, Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Meritize, developer of merit-based financing solutions and a technology platform that connects career starters and mid-career professionals with high-impact skills training, today announced the appointment of Meredith Garland-Hannifin as its new chief compliance officer. With over 23 years of experience in risk, compliance, corporate governance, and information security, Meredith brings a wealth of expertise to her role as the company works to scale its operations and accelerate its momentum meeting the complex education and training needs of fast-growing industries.

"To deliver on the promise of career advancement and upward mobility for learners, quality, accountability and outcomes have to be at the core of our approach and must always govern access to education financing," said Chris Keaveney, co-founder and chief executive officer at Meritize. "Meredith's proven track record of success in leading and maturing compliance programs will be invaluable as we work to maintain a high standard of quality and outcomes for the learners and education and training providers that we serve."

A veteran compliance executive with more than two decades of experience in banking, financial and professional services, Garland-Hannifin joins Meritize from auto finance firm Exeter Finance, where she served as executive vice president and chief compliance officer. During her tenure, she played a key role in growing and maturing the company's risk and compliance programs, including its compliance advisory practice, policies and procedures development and regulatory change management. Her leadership was instrumental in recruiting top talent, coaching and training a team of compliance professionals and improving the efficiency of the company's risk and compliance team.

Prior to Exeter, she was chief executive officer of J. Gallagher Consulting, LLC, where she implemented and operationalized compliance and risk programs for different companies, resulting in improved risk profiles, where she developed comprehensive compliance and risk programs, and drove other proactive compliance activities. Earlier in her career, she also served as senior vice president and senior compliance officer at Citi where she directed a global compliance and risk management team for one of the Big Four banking institutions.

"During this period of innovation in our system of education and training, it's critical that we develop compliance and governance systems capable of keeping up with important regulatory changes designed to assure program quality—and protect the interests of borrowers and education consumers," said Meredith Garland-Hannifin, chief compliance officer at Meritize. "I've been following Meritize's growth and evolution for years and have been consistently impressed with the team's rigorous approach—and the maturity of the financial model. I'm excited to join at a time during an important chapter of growth for the company."

Unlike traditional approaches to education credit and finance, Meritize's forward-looking model is based on an individual's potential to succeed, rather than credit scores or other narrow measures of economic worth. The company's platform uses an individual's academic or military achievements to enhance credit evaluation and potentially improve financing options. Using borrower data to forecast the likelihood of completion and loan repayment, Meritize is able to significantly expand funding opportunities for students who are underserved by traditional loans.

Since launching in 2017, the company has helped over 20,000 students get access to training, through more than $500 million in funding. Meritize has since grown its workforce to more than 60 employees, and today, more than 1,100 high-quality training providers across the United States are using Meritize's unique approach to merit-based finance to help professionals access and pay for training for roles in high-growth industries such as aviation, health care, information technology and the skilled trades.

About Meritize: Meritize is a leading provider of funding solutions for skills-based education and workforce development. The company's proprietary merit-based lending program goes beyond traditional underwriting and uses an individual's academic or military achievements to enhance credit evaluation and expand funding opportunities, resulting in increased access to educational funding and improved outcomes. Frisco, Texas-based Meritize is privately held. For more information visit www.meritize.com.

SOURCE Meritize