Every unique and talented Avantee is a co-creator of the Avant culture we love. We hope the @Avant series helps you get to know who we are, how we do what we do, and what it looks like to build your career at Avant.
Jena Acuff
Head of Customer Experience and Design on the Product Team
Joined Avant in 2021
What’s it like to work @Avant? We asked Jena for her take on our culture, and here’s what she said:
1. How would you describe Avant’s culture?
I was fortunate enough to have Paul Zang as my first boss, and I think Paul is the perfect embodiment of Avant’s culture and values. He leads with friendliness, open-mindedness, and collaboration, and it carries through to the people here. One of the things that stood out to me when I joined is how willing people are to take time out of their day to help you—regardless of how busy they are. That has stayed consistent over the past four years, and it’s something I really value about the Avant culture.
One of the benefits of working here is that we all wear multiple hats and try different things. If you have the interest and desire to solve a problem, and you have a solution to suggest, you can certainly make it happen. That’s true regardless of your level or previous experience, and it’s a unique opportunity for career growth.
2. Why are you happy/successful here?
I like learning new things and being challenged. During my time at Avant, I have had the chance to work in a few different areas of the business, including leading more technical teams like our Data Analytics Team as well as customer-facing groups like our Design Team. I’ve been able to learn new skills and domains while making an impact on the business. The versatility has been fun! I learn from so many talented colleagues, which has given me a broader set of perspectives.
In my current role, I’m focused on how we can make the customer experience exceptional for our Avant customers, which has been super cool to work on. I try to take a customer-first mindset in everything I do—I started my early career at American Express, which is a very customer-centric company, and that time influenced the approach I take today. I am so excited about the problems we’re solving and what we have in store for our customers.
3. What’s something Avant is really good at? What’s something you’d like to see us get better at?
Something Avant is really good at is iterating. Matt Bochenek, Avant’s late CEO, was an incredible advocate for change and making the business better. He really led by example and has influenced myself and so many others in how we go about solving problems. Matt really believed in the company vision to help us move our customers’ lives financially forward and demonstrated resilience in never giving up no matter how hard the challenge in front of you is. As I think about my own journey at Avant, that is a huge prerequisite for me: to make sure that I am working in an environment that is constantly iterating, taking feedback, making changes, improving and persevering.
For where we can get better, since I am focused on how we improve the customer experience, I see so much opportunity there. There is a lot of excitement and momentum around that work, and I’m excited to help drive it forward.
4. If you were to describe who you are and not mention your work at all, what would you say?
I’m a very proud mom of three little kids! This phase of life is a very rewarding one, my kids’ curiosity and enthusiasm inspires me to learn new things, enjoy the simple things in life and be present in the moment.
For what I enjoy doing, I really like to do outdoor activities with my family, whether biking to the beach or teaching my kids how to ski. I have a lot of fond memories of my family hiking and skiing, and that is something I have been intentional about with my own kids. Although, once it gets cold outside, you can find me cheering on my kids at the hockey rink! I am their biggest fan, I have even painted my nails with their team colors to show extra support.
One of my hobbies is that I like to make themed cakes for family birthdays, inspired by both of my grandmas. Not quite at the level of Cake Wars, but I have made some pretty interesting ones – a ski slope, hockey rink, and rainbow confetti cake.
5. What’s a superpower you get to apply at your job?
One of my superpowers has always been connecting. Connecting the dots, connecting with people, listening and seeing how people’s interests and ideas can solve problems. Throughout my time at Avant, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people in different parts of the business, to learn from them and solve problems together. That’s been really a continuous thread for my journey.
6. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a news anchor or an actress. As a kid, I really liked performing in the school plays and dance recitals. I still do a lot of storytelling, just in the context of how the business functions. And occasionally, my kids have to listen to me sing Disney songs in the car!
