This November at Doma we’re highlighting some of the outstanding veterans who help make this company run.
In our first installment, Angela D’Ercole speaks Mark Braun to hear about how his military experiences during historical moments prepared him to take on the future of title and escrow.
Angela D’Ercole: Hi Mark, thank you so much for lending me your time. Can you tell me a little bit about which part of the military you joined and why?
Mark Braun: I joined the Army. I come from a military family and my brother had also already joined so I knew this was what I wanted to do. I also wanted to fund my education in a smart way.
AD: And what did you do during your service Mark?
MB: I was an infantry soldier – that’s basically a foot soldier – and my role changed with the assignment. I was deployed within the U.S. but most of the time I was in Central and South America. Actually, I was there when the U.S. went in to get Manuel Noriega.
AD: What was that like?
MB: It’s something that has stayed with me for a long time. I walked through Noriega’s house in Panama: he lived an incredibly luxurious life compared to his people who lived in huts with dirt floors and very meager means, if any.
AD: Do you have any other stand out memories from your time in the army?
MB: I was deployed to Compton during the LA Riots to keep the peace and while there we slept in a park. Every night families would come out with home cooked food to feed us: it was so unexpected with everything that had just happened. I think everyone was really appreciative of us being there because the violence stopped, and they finally felt safe. This was such a different experience than what I thought it would be.
AD: I’m curious how did you transition from the miliary to title and escrow?
MB: My wife at the time was an Escrow Officer so I knew a bit about it. I started in the copier room, but because I was the guy always looking for ways to make my team more efficient, I moved into production, then management of national production in multiple regions. Now I’m on the technology side of operations here at Doma.
AD: Speaking of Doma, what do you like about working at Doma?
I also really like how we interact with one another here at Doma – it’s unlike any other title and escrow company I’ve worked at because we constantly think about how technology can really shift the paradigm.
Mark Braun
MB: I’ve been in this world a long time and I’ve always felt that this industry has been antiquated and inefficient. Coming from the operations side, I understand how technology can support it and I’m excited that Doma’s vision is to do that. I also really like how we interact with one another here at Doma – it’s unlike any other title and escrow company I’ve worked at because we constantly think about how technology can really shift the paradigm.
AD: Thank you so much for sharing your story and your service today!
MD: You’re very welcome.
