Guild Holdings Company, a mortgage company focused on growth and helping people become homeowners, announced the appointment of Gioia Messinger to its Board of Directors, bringing the number of board members to seven.

Born and raised in Bolivia, Messinger has distinguished herself for more than 30 years as a founder, senior technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and venture capital consultant, as well as a recognized board member.

Since 2012, she has served as the founder and director of LinkedObjects, Inc., a strategic advisory services company focused on digital transformation. Previously, from 2004 to 2012, Messinger served as the founder and CEO of Avaak, Inc., now Arlo Technologies, a leading home security systems company.

Patrick Duffy, chairman of the Guild board stated:

Gioia has a proven track record of creating value for companies as a seasoned, independent board member of public and private companies.

“She has experience in finance, audit and risk, nominating and governance, and compensation committees. As we continue to grow nationally, the board, company and shareholders will benefit from her diverse perspective as a thought leader and strategic visionary and a proven record in innovation, business development, strategic planning, M&A and digital transformation,” added Duffy.

Messinger, who earned her MBA from the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California Irvine, and her B.S. in Computer Engineering from UC San Diego., is a board member and advisor to startups such as:

• One Stop Systems, a provider of high-performance computing used for artificial intelligence (AI).
• Indyme Solutions, LLC, a provider of AI solutions for the world's largest retailers.
• CARI Health, Inc., a developer of innovative personalized health care solutions.

Messinger is also a member of the dean’s council of advisors at the University of California San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering, and a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA).

“I love creating great products with great people. I am super-passionate about innovation and taking ideas from nothing to life-changing. I am passionate about gender equality and diversity – both for early education and for women in the workplace. These issues are essentially the story of my life, and I am proud to be part of a growing movement that supports and encourages diversity of all kinds across businesses and society more widely,” Messinger highlights through her LinkedIn profile.

Messinger, who specializes in core innovation and brainstorming around technology and business models that increase shareholder value, underscores her ability to build winning teams and develop successful go-to-market and product strategies, as well as to develop businesses, found companies, and raise funds.

“Guild has achieved an admirable growth record because of the quality of its people, culture and distinct business model. I’m pleased to be joining the board and help the team drive sustainable growth across economic cycles,” underlined Messinger.

About Guild Mortgage Company

Founded in 1960, Guild Mortgage Company is a nationally recognized independent mortgage lender offering residential mortgage products as well as origination and local in-house services.

This company, which has relationships with credit unions, community banks, and other financial and lending institutions in 49 states and the District of Columbia, has more than 4,500 employees and more than 250 retail locations.

It specializes in government-sponsored programs, such as FHA, VA, USDA, down payment assistance programs, and other specialized loan programs.