At Berkadia, our success is built upon the talent and hard work of a broad, diversely skilled team. From graphic designers to loan closing specialists to product designers, each of our people brings a unique background, perspective and expertise. Their work allows Berkadia to maintain a consistent leadership role in the commercial real estate industry.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Amy Brown, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, who leads Berkadia’s talent acquisition program in the U.S. In this role, Amy ensures that prospective employees fully understand Berkadia’s business model and work culture, connecting them with opportunities that allow individuals to grow both personally and professionally.
What part of your role at Berkadia are you most passionate about?
While I have an appreciation for all aspects of talent acquisition, I really love the marketing side. Being able to tell our story, get candidates excited about what we are doing, where we are headed and how they can contribute to that, is the coolest part of my job.
I first learned of Berkadia when my now colleague, Emma Petersen, reached out about the opportunity. As I started to have a few conversations with Emma, SVP of Human Resources Danielle D’Andrea and various other leaders within the organization, I became very inspired by the culture, the people, the positive outlook for the business and the possibilities. It is now my personal mission to make sure that potential candidates know who we are and the exciting things that are happening here.
What drew you to a career at Berkadia? Did you choose CRE or did CRE choose you?
My previous employer was a global retail and digital commerce giant, which was so much fun, but I was intrigued by Berkadia’s values, the smaller size of the company and the opportunity to help evolve and grow the talent acquisition platform. That, along with the great people here and countless possibilities, motivated me to make the move.
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself? What is the best advice you have received?
You can and should always be learning from others – peers, leaders and colleagues of all capacities. It’s a gift not to be taken lightly; there is something to appreciate or be inspired by every day. Being in a global pandemic has taught us all to appreciate the little things and take advantage of every day. One of my personal philosophies is that there is always a path forward. No matter how hard your day was personally or professionally, there is a fresh start tomorrow and you have another shot at doing it better.
When you’re not helping Berkadia move the industry forward, how do you spend your time?
My family keeps me busy, which is fun. My sons are ages 21, 19 and 18. Two are at Penn State University and will possibly be joined by their younger brother in the Fall, depending on what he decides. We love Penn State football games and basically every sport as well as camping, hiking, biking, travel and being outside as much as possible. We also spend a lot of time in Ocean City, NJ. In general, there is always something going on at our house, and everyone is always invited for dinner.
How has your time at Berkadia helped to accelerate your personal or professional development?
Although I have only been with Berkadia a short time, I’ve already had some amazing experiences. The most significant of which has been helping launch Berkadia’s first applicant tracking system—Greenhouse which truly challenged me, as I had no prior experience with Greenhouse nor have I ever been so deeply involved in a technology launch. However, an incredible team supported this project and brought me right into the fold. I saw the Berkadia Way in action from the start, which was so reassuring and confirmed that I had made the right decision to join Berkadia. As for continued growth and development, there is no shortage of that, knowing that talent acquisition has several more exciting initiatives planned for the year ahead! It’s going to be a great year!
-Amy Brown, VP – Talent Acquisition