Building The First CD Marketplace

John Blizzard is the founder of CD Valet. His vision for CD Valet was to create a true marketplace for consumers to easily find all publicly available CD options from their local banks and credit unions to national players to the highest ratepayers and most unique offerings, all on one site. John aspires to create the next generation of financial services marketplaces that truly benefit consumers and financial institutions to garner access to a new and robust source of retail deposits and clients, benefiting both through uniquely designed tools and data transparency. John created CD Valet through Seattle Bank, where he has served as President and CEO since April 2014.

Howie Wu is Head of Product at CD Valet. He leads product vision, strategy, and execution driving new innovative capabilities and solutions that enhance the consumer and financial institution experience. He has played a key role in delivering a two-sided marketplace on CD Valet that provides a unique CD shopping experience for consumers while generating access to new deposits for financial institutions.

Howie has over 15 years of experience providing leadership, strategic planning, and development expertise in the digital delivery of banking services. He formerly served as Head of Digital Strategy, Research, and Innovation at First Republic Bank, and was Senior Vice President for more than a decade at BECU.

Jamie Fairbanks is the Financial Institution Success Manager at CD Valet. She oversees the onboarding process and manages all client relationships to ensure FIs derive maximum value from their partnership with CD Valet. Understanding success is a collaborative effort, Jamie works closely with internal teams at CD Valet to align strategies and initiatives and represent financial institution needs and perspectives.

Prior to joining CD Valet, Jamie started her fintech career at Gusto and went on to serve as Director of Enterprise Success at TIFIN Wealth. She has spent most of her career collaborating closely with businesses to propel revenue growth through the strategic implementation of cutting-edge technology and fintech solutions. Jamie earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Biology from Washington State University.

Allison Sakounthong is the content marketing manager for CD Valet. She brings experience as a journalist, marketer, and researcher to create and drive compelling content that focuses on connecting consumers with industry news, financial tips, and the best rates on CD Valet’s marketplace. Allison has over 15 years developing B2C and B2B content strategies. She was a Content and Marketing Manager for several SaaS companies – an organization helping companies promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace; a startup providing consumers and phone carriers with caller ID and call protection solutions for spam and fraud calls; and a company that provides world-class giving and engagement solutions to help organizations grow their communities. Allison earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Washington.

Kalina Ikonomova is the Operations Manager for CD Valet, where she oversees over 31,000 CD rates with the help of the Ratewatcher team, ensuring our website remains accurate and up-to-date. Kalina plays an integral role in maintaining and enhancing the website, improving the user experience, and ensuring that customers have access to timely, reliable information. In addition to her technical and operational responsibilities, she works closely with customers to ensure they are receiving the highest level of service and satisfaction. Kalina works cross-functionally with all internal teams at CD Valet to align on key initiatives, ensure seamless operations, and drive overall company success.

Coming from a strong background in various financial services, Kalina brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to her role, allowing her to manage complex operations efficiently while fostering a positive, customer-centric environment. Kalina earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University.