Freddie Mac, Cenlar, Freedom Mortgage make leadership moves

November 18, 2022 7:00 AM

Cenlar taps cybersecurity expert Brian Browne for new leadership role

Loan subservicer Cenlar named Brian Browne vice president of cybersecurity, a newly created position at the Ewing, New Jersey-based company. In the position, Browne will assist in the development of cybersecurity strategy and security architecture, as well as help lead technology decision making. "My goal is to help mature our cybersecurity program through a threat-informed approach that prioritizes our cyber defense and security operations activities," Browne said.

A technology industry veteran, Browne joins Cenlar from Dell Technologies, where he was instrumental behind the creation of data security strategy and program roadmaps as enterprise information security architect. Previously, Browne also served in technology leadership positions at companies across industries, including pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb and audit and tax advisory firm Grant Thornton.

Freddie Mac welcomes return of Ravi Shankar

Government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac named Ravi Shankar senior vice president and head of single-family portfolio and servicing, welcoming back the financial industry leader. In the role, Shankar will oversee operations involving portfolio management and servicing, drawing on his previous experience as deputy head of investments and capital markets at the GSE from 2016 to 2019. He first joined McLean, Virginia-based Freddie Mac in 2013 as senior vice president for single-family portfolio management.

Prior to his initial tenure at Freddie Mac, Shankar spent several years in leadership at JPMorgan Chase in a number of leadership roles and Citigroup. Most recently, Shankar worked in advisory positions at Boston Consulting Group and United Wholesale Mortgage.

Movement Mortgage adds ex-Caliber leader, tech expert Lyra Waggoner

Retail lender Movement Mortgage appointed financial services and mortgage technology leader Lyra Waggoner to the position of chief information officer, a new role within the Indian Land, South Carolina-based company. In her role at Movement, Waggoner will be responsible for leading its information technology team, developing solutions to help loan officers grow sales and originations. Her arrival comes following several other recent executive-level hires over the summer. Recently, Movement also announced expansion plans with the acquisition of Mortgage Network.

A former executive with Caliber Home Loans, where she helped build its proprietary loan origination software platform, Waggoner most recently served as head of technology for Level Capital. While at Level she similarly oversaw the creation and design of an origination and servicing platform for residential construction lending.

FirstClose adds James Bolger, Carol Crawford as chief officers

Left to right: James Bolger, Carol Crawford

Austin, Texas-based fintech FirstClose, a provider of technology tools for HELOC originations and other home equity loans, named James Bolger chief financial officer. A housing and technology industry veteran, Bolger will oversee financial reporting, budget planning and capital raising at the company. Before coming to FirstClose, Bolger served as CFO of ClosingCorp before and after its acquisition by CoreLogic. He also previously held the CFO role at PTI Marketing Technologies and held key financial positions at Accredited Home Lenders and GreenPoint Credit Corp.

Bolger's appointment follows the recent hiring of Carol Crawford as chief marketing officer. A former senior director at ICE Mortgage Technology and chief marketing officer with ClosingCorp, Crawford will tap into past experience in business and product strategy at those companies to drive sales and manage brand development and communications for FirstClose. Earlier in her career, Crawford also held marketing roles at CoreLogic and First American.

LoanLogics promotes Dave Parker, Paul Vancheri to C-suite

Left to right: Paul Vancheri, Dave Parker

LoanLogics, a provider of mortgage audit technology and other automated services, announced the promotion of Dave Parker and Paul Vancheri to top leadership positions. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company tapped Parker, previously the company's executive vice president, product, for CEO, while also elevating Vancheri from executive vice president of technology and operations to president and chief operating officer. Parker takes over the chief executive role from Bill Neville.

As CEO, Parker, who has been with LoanLogics since 2019, expects to ramp up growth of automation and other technologies to enable faster loan processing for clients, tapping into his product development background and past leadership experience at companies, including Fiserv, CoreLogic and Wells Fargo. Vancheri also joined LoanLogics in 2019, coming to the company as an expert in software engineering, tech integrations as well as offshoring and business operations.

Freedom Mortgage appoints Mike Mell to head wholesale division

National lender Freedom Mortgage recently promoted Mike Mell to senior vice president of wholesale lending. In his newly elevated role, he will be in charge of a national team of regional sales managers and account executives. Mell joined the Boca Raton, Florida-based company, one of the country's leading lenders of government-backed mortgages, in 2005 and most recently served as the company's senior vice president of sales. Mell's promotion comes after several other independent mortgage banks, including loanDepot and AmeriSave, exited wholesale lending this year amid diminished loan volumes. The industry slowdown also led to layoffs earlier this month at Freedom.

MBA promotes Joel Kan, Justin Wiseman, Heather Messam

Left to right: Joel Kan, Justin Wiseman

The Mortgage Bankers Association recently announced the promotion of three associate vice presidents on various teams — Joel Kan, Heather Messam and Justin Wiseman — to elevated roles.

Kan steps up to the position of vice president, deputy chief economist and will be responsible for leading MBA's economic and mortgage market forecasting, continuing to analyze data trends in real estate finance and oversee production of surveys as he did most recently as associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting. Kan started his career at the MBA in 2006 as a survey specialist.

As vice president and controller, Messam will continue to manage and establish accounting and financial operations for the association and its five subsidiaries to ensure timely reporting. She will also serve as treasurer for MISMO, or the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization. Messam joined MBA in 2001, holding several positions, before ascending to controller.

Legal specialist Wiseman will oversee many of MBA's efforts regarding law and policy surrounding loan production, servicing and pending legislation as vice president, managing regulatory counsel. He joined the association in 2012, beginning as an associate regulatory counsel and director of loan administration policy. Before coming to MBA, Wiseman clerked for the federal District Court in the Middle District of Tennessee.

Anchor Loans taps Brad Chmura as new chief revenue officer

Anchor Loans, provider of financing solutions to real estate investors, welcomed Brad Chmura as chief revenue officer. In his new position, Chmura will be in charge of revenue growth, brand development, sales and loan fulfillment for the Thousand Oaks, California-based lender. In 2021, Anchor generated $1.8 billion in originations.

Chmura comes to Anchor after most recently holding the position of chief operating officer at another investment lender, CoreVest Finance. He has also served in sales leadership at leading housing industry data and software platforms CoreLogic and First American Mortgage Solutions.

HUD welcomes government communications leader Beth Lynk

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently named government communications specialist Beth Lynk assistant secretary of public affairs. With expertise in the operations of government agencies, Lynk previously held the role of director at the office of communications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and, more recently, served as a senior advisor to its administrator. She is also a former deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, helping lead communications strategy for HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

Waterstone promotes Brian Wesselhoff to chief officer role

National mortgage lender Waterstone Mortgage elevated Brian Wesselhoff to the role of chief information officer. In his new leadership position, Wesselhoff will oversee technology and data processes and systems, as well as security, for the Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based company. Wesselhoff steps up to the role from the position of vice president — information technology and will replace Tom Knapp, who previously announced his retirement at the end of the year. Since starting at Waterstone in 2018 as an IT manager, Wesselhoff has helped modernize the company's corporate data center and led changes to facilitate a remote-work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Synergy One names Rob Shockley general counsel

San Diego-based Synergy One Lending added mortgage-industry leader Rob Shockley as executive vice president, general counsel. With both legal and mortgage production backgrounds, Shockley has worked as both a practicing attorney and lending executive in his career, including most recently holding the position of senior vice president, production, at Academy Mortgage. In his new role at Synergy One, Shockley will become a member of the company's executive management team, in addition to overseeing the lender's legal strategy.

Falcon Capital names Kara Ward general counsel

Alexandria, Virginia-based Falcon Capital Advisors, which provides services to mortgage and financial industries, announced the appointment of banking and housing legal expert Kara Ward as general counsel and managing director. In the role, Ward will be a key strategic counselor to government, private sector and technology clients. "Her expertise perfectly aligns with sectors our firm is actively serving: the single-family mortgage market, community development financial Institutions (CDFIs), small business lending and federal grants/loan guarantee management," said company Chairman and CEO Armando Falcon.

With expertise in cross-governmental matters, Ward earlier served as partner within the public policy and regulation group at Holland & Knight and as an attorney advisor within the banking and finance division at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Nations Direct welcomes former loanDepot sales leader Jack O'Brien

Nations Direct Mortgage, a third-party lender based in Santa Ana, California, announced the appointment of Jack O'Brien as senior vice president, national sales director, in plans to expand its geographic footprint. O'Brien comes to Nations Direct after most recently holding the role of eastern divisional sales manager for loanDepot Wholesale, which he helped grow from 2014 until its shutdown in October. Previously, O'Brien also held leadership positions with Fifth Third Bank Wholesale and National City Home Equity.

CMG appoints Bill Landon president to lead Mid-Atlantic expansion

CMG Home Loans, the retail subsidiary of San Ramon, California-based mortgage banker CMG Financial, named Bill Landon president in efforts to increase its national footprint. As president, Landon will head growth efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region, including oversight of a new group of branches. Landon brings expertise in the area after previously serving as CEO of George Mason Mortgage. His appointment comes after the recent announcement of a new Colorado branch for CMG Home Loans in Westminster.

Geneva Financial taps Lisa Makoni to head first Alaska branch

National direct mortgage lender Geneva Financial, based in Chandler, Arizona, and licensed in 47 states, announced the opening of its first office in Alaska to be led by Lisa Makoni. Based in Anchorage, Makoni is a specialist in originating HUD 184 loans aimed at increasing homeownership among Alaska Natives and American Indians. Makoni began her mortgage career in Hawaii.