Embrace Employee Spotlight: Lauren Keathley and Matthew Knight

There’s a lot to love about Embrace Home Loans, but one of our strongest assets has always been our employees. We have teammates who have been with us for 10, 20, even 30+ years. And we’ve also been hiring new employees at a furious pace recently — new employees that many of us haven’t met yet as we continue to work remotely during the pandemic.

In this Employee Spotlight, we’ll be featuring two Embrace teammates — one new employee, and one employee who has already been with us for a while. Each will give different perspectives on the Embrace experience and a little more personal info so you’ll be able to get to know them better.

Want to nominate someone to feature in a future spotlight? Email Mary Mack at [email protected]

MATTHEW KNIGHT, Front End Closing Officer

What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?

My official title is a Front End Closing Officer. I ensure that the rest of my team has the right information and the right documents to help Embrace’s clients have an enjoyable closing experience.

What made you want to work at Embrace? 

I wanted to work at Embrace because I’ve heard such great things about the company, and I wanted to be able to work in an environment where people are friendly towards one another and can work together holistically to achieve a common goal.

How has it been starting a new job during COVID? And just working for Embrace in general?

It has definitely been a foreign experience starting a new job during COVID, but thankfully Embrace has made the transition for me very seamless and comfortable. I am a 100% remote employee, and I was worried that the lack of being in a physical work environment and not being around coworkers in person may be a tough shift — however, due to wonderful communication and the implementation of a plethora of technology, I am able to feel right in place during my workday.

What did you do for a living before you came to Embrace?

I am a professional clothing designer and tailor, and I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree before working for Embrace. I have my own freelance design business, and I also work as a designer for a boutique in Boston. Working for Embrace has helped me fuel my personal endeavors and has allowed me to become more diverse in my own professional capabilities.

We’d love to get to know you better! Tell us about yourself.

I am originally from Warwick, RI, and I moved to Boston in 2016 to attend the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. I graduated last year and continue to live in Boston so I can be close to the things I enjoy doing in my free time, such as attending some of the many museums the city has to offer, and the amazing theatre/ballet/opera industry that I occasionally work for. Outside of Embrace, I manage and design for my own freelancing business, and work for local clients and boutiques as well.

LAUREN KEATHLEY, Hiring Specialist

What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?

Hiring Specialist. I work in the Human Resources department. I am part of a three-person team that handles the hiring, onboarding, and internal transfers that occur at Embrace. I also help with auditing, creating job descriptions, conducting interviews and I create “The Weekly Wrap” that goes out every Friday via email.

How long have you worked for Embrace?

I have been with Embrace for a little over a year. My one-year anniversary was on 3/23!

What made you want to work at Embrace?

I really liked how professional and straightforward the hiring process was. Additionally, the position that I was hired for was identical to what I was currently doing at the time. Other components that really sold me were how beautiful corporate was, Embrace’s values and commitment to community outreach, and paid volunteering opportunities.

What’s one of your favorite Embrace memories?

I have really enjoyed getting to know my teammates during our virtual department get-togethers. We make an effort to get together once per month to do an activity together. A few examples of what we’ve done: wreath-making, sign-making/painting, virtual happy hour, and online group games.

How has it been working from home for most of this year?

Funny enough, I was hired the day after the company went 100% remote due to COVID-19. Therefore, I had one in-person day and then worked completely remotely for two and a half months.

Since May 2020, I have been working in person at corporate a majority of my time. Embrace was great with virtual training. I especially enjoyed being able to screen share on Microsoft Teams for training purposes. Embrace has made great efforts to hold all of the live webinars for new teammates completely remotely and to have virtual department meetings through Microsoft Teams.

We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.

I am one of three children. Matt (Knight) is my younger brother by two years and he has a twin. I am 25. My birthday is December 26th. Yes, I do get gipped on gifts!

I was able to get married in 2020 despite COVID-19. We had an intimate wedding on the beach in Nantucket, MA. In August of 2020, we adopted a female Goldendoodle named Ozzi! She is currently nine months old.

I just moved as of April 1st of this year. I am very excited to live closer to work and experience all that Newport has to offer. I am an amateur photographer on the side. I have my own online print shop. My photography is mainly of coastal New England. I also went to Keene State College and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2018 with a B.A. degree in Psychology.