DEARBORN, Mich. — ChannelNet, a Detroit-based tech company providing digital marketing and sales solutions, today announced its expansion into two major markets by opening new field offices in New York City and Austin, Texas. According to officials, the company’s expansion will better support its steady growth and efforts to further penetrate the financial services industry.

To oversee the expansion, Jon Aurit joined the firm as vice president of business development and account management. He’ll be responsible for ChannelNet’s overall business development goals, including client engagement, strategic planning, consulting and supporting the company’s client relationships.

Reporting to Aurit is Steve Chicarella, the new vice president of account management for the New York City office. Chicarella will manage all aspects of ChannelNet’s eastern U.S. accounts, and he is responsible for guiding clients’ digital solutions.

“We have been serving the financial industry for decades, so it makes sense to have a presence on the east coast and Texas,” said Paula Tompkins, CEO and founder of ChannelNet. “Both Jon and Steve have excellent reputations in the industry, and I am confident they will be instrumental in surpassing the 35 percent year-over-year growth rate we have experienced since 2011.”

Aurit, based in Austin, Texas, will be responsible for driving the ongoing support for all ChannelNet clients. His client portfolio includes Fiserv, Toyota Financial Services, Kia, Hyundai, BMW Financial Services, Ally, Benjamin Moore Paints, Hunter Douglas and RouteOne. He joins ChannelNet with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically within the insurance, consumer and commercial finance markets.

Chicarella, a banker for more than 20 years, has held roles in sales, operations and marketing with JP Morgan Chase and TD Bank. Most recently, he was the director of product management for F&I and lender solutions at Dealertrack Technologies.

ChannelNet was featured in F&I and Showroom’s April 2014 issue. The article focused on the firm’s platform for creating personalized URLs, or PURLS. These personalized microsites are designed to help captives deliver what Tompkins referred to as “targeted lifecycle communications.”