Career moves

Mortgage information provider Ellie Mae has named a new chief executive.

With 2015 in full swing, National Mortgage News is taking a look at the biggest trends and topics that will shape 2015.

Kenneth Phelan was hired by the U.S. Treasury Department for the newly created position of chief risk officer, a role he previously took at Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Fannie Mae in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Mortgage employment slowly edged up this year, but will it continue to track the recent hiring boom in the national economy? Some industry observers believe so.

Fannie Mae veteran Karen Pallotta has joined Redwood Trust's board of directors. Pallotta's recent role at Fannie was as executive vice president of the single-family credit guaranty business, which she assumed during the height of the financial crisis.

People movers for the week ending Dec. 19.

NeighborWorks America has named Paul Weech as its new president and chief executive.

GuardHill Financial Corp. CEO Alan Rosenbaum has recruited veteran New York City mortgage originator—and former competitor—Melissa Cohn to bring an under-the-radar lender out of the shadows.

George Engelke Jr., former chairman, president, and chief executive of the Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., has died.

The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. has given its president and chief executive, Timothy Buzby, a two-year extension on his employment contract.

People movers for the week ending Dec. 12.

Stonegate Mortgage is planning to add over 175 jobs in Southern California.

DocMagic, a loan preparation company in Torrance, Calif., has agreed to acquire Doc-Tech, a mortgage documentation firm in Palatine, Ill.

National MI, a private mortgage insurance company in Emeryville, Calif., has named Jay Sherwood as president.

PNC Financial Services Group has appointed a new leader for its mortgage division.

PennyMac formed the new division to provide multifamily and other commercial loans under $10 million.

People movers for the week ending Dec. 5.

Meeting people and getting to know them remains the most successful way of getting new clients.

Beal was a senior vice president in transaction management at Clayton Holdings and an advocate for tougher due diligence in residential mortgage-backed securities after the financial crisis.

A company's evolution from startup to established business requires executives to have a wide array of leadership skills, particularly given the intricate compliance requirements that can complicate the growth trajectory of many mortgage firms.