Employee Spotlight: Jan Singelmann, Chief of Staff, Corporate & External Affairs

We are excited to welcome Jan Singelmann to the Summer team as our new Chief of Staff, Corporate and External Affairs.

Jan brings over 15 years of expertise in financial regulation, consumer protection, and public policy. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where he oversaw strategic operations and advised on policy, external engagement, and organizational performance.

Prior to that role, Jan was Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, advising on consumer finance law and policy. He also served as an enforcement attorney at the CFPB and began his career as a litigation attorney at law firms.

As Summer’s Chief of Staff, Jan serves as a strategic partner to our executive team, driving key growth initiatives across the company. 

What drew you to Summer’s mission and this role?

Summer feels like a natural extension of my work at the CFPB: providing tangible help to people struggling under the weight of student debt. There are options that can ease that burden—better repayment plans, loan forgiveness programs, and other relief—but they’re often hard to find and feel out of reach. Summer connects people to the support they need, and that mission deeply resonates with me.

Summer is also a certified B Corp with a consumer-aligned business model. We don’t charge borrowers. Instead, cities, employers, and membership organizations partner with us to offer our services as a benefit to their communities. 

You've spent your career working on consumer financial protection. Where does student debt fit into that bigger picture?

Student debt is one of the most pressing affordability challenges today, with 42 million borrowers holding more than $1.8 trillion of outstanding debt. That burden doesn’t just strain monthly budgets, it also prevents people from buying a home, starting a family, launching a business, and fully participating in the economy. It’s not fair for student debt to be a lifelong burden, and I’m excited to join a company that gives borrowers the resources and support they need to find a way out.

What's the disconnect between existing resources and what borrowers actually need to navigate their debt successfully?

Borrowers don’t have a clear path through the tangle of 150+ federal and state programs and repayment options, and it’s not their fault. Federal and state rules and guidance can be incomplete, inaccurate, or just confusing, and there’s a long record of borrowers being steered into more costly repayment plans. I’ve experienced this confusion firsthand: during most of my time in federal service, I was in the wrong repayment plan and missing out on eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

Summer helps borrowers navigate this complicated landscape by providing personalized guidance and end-to-end enrollment support, unlocking thousands in potential savings. 

What does it take to build programs that actually move the needle for people dealing with student debt?

The complexity of student loans requires concierge-level service. 

That’s where Summer really stands out. In addition to our digital platform, we have a team of student loan experts who are available to answer questions and provide individualized guidance. This team brings deep student loan expertise from prior roles at the Department of Education, the CFPB, and student borrower organizations. That combination of technology and human expertise makes real impact possible.