Pennymac, Loandepot, Chase make leadership moves

October 10, 2025 6:00 AM

Pennymac welcomes Kevin Ryan, Marshall Sebring, Shiva Iyer to C-suite

Left to right: Kevin Ryan, Shiva Iyer

National lender and servicer Pennymac announced the appointment of veteran mortgage leader Kevin Ryan as senior managing director, chief strategy officer. Ryan will soon join the company upon his exit from the role of president and chief financial officer at Better following a brief transitional period at his former employer. Ryan held his leadership positions at Better for the past five years, joining the company after serving as a managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he worked for over two decades.

Alongside Ryan's new appointment, the Westlake Village, California-based home finance firm made two other key c-suite promotions, elevating Marshall Sebring to chief investment officer. In the role, Sebring will maintain oversight of enterprise investment strategy and market and interest-rate risk management. Prior to joining Pennymac in 2024, Sebring held roles at JPMorgan Chase and Blackrock.

Ascending to the position of Chief Enterprise Risk Officer, Shiva Iyer will take responsibility for audit and corporate finance activities, ensuring sound business practices to maintain compliance. He first joined Pennymac in 2016 after previously holding roles at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Bank of America.

Movement Mortgage elevates Lyra Waggoner, Anna Benz in c-suite

Left to right: Anna Benz, Lyra Waggoner

National lender Movement Mortgage promoted Lyra Waggoner to the role of chief operating officer. In her new leadership position, Waggoner will be in charge of technology, marketing, employee engagement and operations for the Indian Land, South Carolina-based company. Before her promotion, she held the title of chief information officer, leading a substantial overhaul of technology operations over the past three years.

Movement also appointed Anna Benz as chief fulfillment officer, which will have her leading the company's lending operations team. She previously helped drive the expansion of Movement's nonagency business, and played a key role in the company's successful loan-officer recruitment efforts. Before joining Movement, Benz ran nonagency operations at New American Funding.

Loandepot adds Adam Saab, names Alec Hanson, Mary Bane SVPs

Left to right: Mary Bane, Alec Hanson, Adam Saab

National lender Loandepot announced the addition of Adam Saab as executive vice president of servicing. A servicing veteran, Saab joins the Irvine, California-based mortgage firm from Cenlar, where he led early-stage default operations. His mortgage career also includes tenures at CitiMortgage, PNC Bank and Loancare. At Loandepot, Saab will be responsible for the company's servicing platform and loan portfolio, ensuring compliant operations.

Saab's arrival coincides with the appointment of two new regional production leaders. Mary Bane steps up as senior vice president of production for the Northeast/Central division. With the company for 10 years, she helped establish the lender's midwest coverage upon joining Loandepot. The company also named 20-plus year industry veteran Alec Hanson as senior vice president of production for the west. With Loandepot since 2011, Hanson has led a number of teams at the company in various roles, including head of revenue development and growth and chief marketing officer.

Chase taps Bhavesh Patel, Erik Schmitt, Ryan Hayes to head sales

Left to right: Ryan Hayes, Bhavesh Patel, Erik Schmitt

Chase Home Lending welcomed the promotion and arrival of new executives in its mortgage operations nationwide, as it further unifies consumer and correspondent sales leadership. Bhavesh Patel steps in as consumer channel executive for home lending production, a role which will have him overseeing strategy and execution of field sales. He ascends to the position after holding several roles in investment and commercial banking and correspondent lending at JPMorgan Chase throughout his career.

The company also elevated Erik Schmitt to consumer direct executive for home lending. In the new role, he will lead digital channel development within home lending, tasked with oversight of sales strategy that can quickly respond to market changes. Schmitt previously led the Chase Myhome platform.

Additionally, Chase Home Lending hired Ryan Hayes as correspondent channel executive for home lending production. As head of correspondent operations, Hayes will be responsible for the financial performance of the channel and comes to Chase after previously serving as a regional director with Movement Mortgage. Hayes is also chair of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association.

California MBA taps Paul Gigliotti for CEO

The California Mortgage Bankers Association announced the appointment of industry expert Paul Gigliotti as CEO. Gigliotti takes the helm of the trade group after most recently serving as chief growth officer at mortgage technology platform Prudent AI, where he will remain as an executive strategic advisor. With lending expertise encompassing originations, technology and strategy, Gigliotti held prior leadership roles at Pinnacle Home Loans and West Coast Mortgage and also co-founded Axis Lending Academy, a nonprofit mortgage education platform.

Gigliotti assumed the role on Oct. 1 and succeeded Susan Milazzo, who will stay with CMBA as a consultant over a year-long transitional period.

MISMO promotes Jonathan Kearns to lead programs

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization promoted technology expert Jonathan Kearns to vice president of programs. Kearns most recently served as associate vice president of product development for MISMO, which operates as a unit of the Mortgage Bankers Association, and steps into the elevated position as the organization ramps up technology initiatives, including the recent publication of an artificial intelligence glossary.

Before joining MISMO, Kearns held key executive positions at Docmagic, where he was responsible for its digital mortgage platforms. Kearns' promotion comes following the recent appointment of industry leader Brian Vieaux as the new CEO of MISMO.

Onity adds former Meta exec Robert Welborn as director

West Palm Beach, Florida-based Onity Group announced the appointment of technology executive Robert Welborn to its board of directors. Before joining the mortgage and servicing solutions provider, Welborn held the title of director of data science at Meta earlier in his career and also served in similar technology leadership roles at General Motors and USAA. Currently, he holds the title of director at Nov Inc., an equipment and technology platform for the oil and gas industry,

Revolution welcomes Dean Moran, Paul Wyner to C-suite

Left to right: Dean Moran, Paul Wyner

Retail lender Revolution Mortgage recently announced new additions to its senior leadership team, including the hiring of Dean Moran as chief revenue officer. Moran will be responsible for assessing new opportunities and communication with internal teams as the Westerville, Ohio-based company pursues market growth. An industry veteran at a variety of different financial institutions, Moran spent the last five years as a Northeast divisional manager at Rate. Earlier in his career, Moran held senior mortgage leadership positions at U.S. Bank, TIAA and JPMorgan Chase.

Revolution also recently tapped Paul Wyner as chief solutions officer, a role combining operations and sales expertise in an effort to best serve loan officers and customers. Wyner's responsibilities include the development of resources and processes to assist lending teams through reduced friction and internal alignment, with an eye on best use of artificial intelligence. Wyner arrives at Revolution after holding several mortgage executive roles in his career at the likes of Home Point Financial, First Savings Bank of Indiana and S2N Advisory Services, a firm he founded.

Click n’ Close appoints Ian Kimball president

Wholesale and correspondent lender Click n' Close hired Ian Kimball as president. With a mortgage background across sales, operations and technology, Kimball will be responsible for scaling and modernizing operations and building new partnerships to support the Addison, Texas-based lender's expansion. He joins the company after previously holding the title of executive director of strategy at Service First Mortgage. He also brings leadership experience from past mortgage industry roles at Caliber Home Loans, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Sage taps Kristin Broadley as operations leader

Sage Home Loans, the national lender based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, recently welcomed industry veteran Kristin Broadley as senior vice president, operations. In her role, she will help lead oversight of lending functions at Sage, drawing into an extensive background in technology and risk and compliance management. A policy executive and consultant for several companies, Broadley previously served in key risk solutions leadership positions for over two decades at Rocket Cos.

Houlihan Lokey names mortgage expert John Guzzo managing director

Photo by David Beyda

Global investment bank and advisory firm Houlihan Lokey announced the addition of mortgage industry expert John Guzzo as managing director within its financial services group. Tapped to strengthen the firm's mortgage services, Guzzo joins New York-based Houlihan Lokey after holding a similar managing director position at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, where he headed its home lending technology and proptech investment banking practice. Previously, Guzzo also founded and led a similar division at Berkery, Noyes & Co.

In the role, Guzzo will provide insights to power Houlihan Lokey's mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital-raising, restructuring and additional financial and valuation services.

EPM elevates Anjanette Valenta to chief people officer

Wholesale lender Equity Prime Mortgage promoted Anjanette Valenta to chief people officer, ascending to the role after recently serving as senior vice president. In her new role, Valenta will continue to scale Atlanta-based EPM's human resources infrastructure and lead talent recruitment strategy and leadership development programs. Valenta's HR career has brought her into leadership at several companies in financial services, including Banc of California.

Activecomply receives strategic investment, names Asif Alam CEO

Activecomply, the regulation management platform supporting communications services at nonbank mortgage shops and other financial institutions, appointed Asif Alam as CEO. His hiring comes following a strategic investment from growth equity firm Level Equity. Activecomply currently serves more than 130 clients nationwide.

Alam will be responsible for scaling the Orlando, Florida-based company's operations, tapping into his leadership experience from similar compliance-software firms. Before joining Activecomply, he held the role of CEO at Compliance.ai, and also helped lead Thoughttrace as chief strategy and revenue officer.

Simmons Bank adds correspondent leader to head national sales

Simmons Bank Jodie Cochran National Sales and Production Manager

Little Rock, Arkansas-based Simmons Bank announced the hiring of Jodie Cochran as national sales and production manager of mortgage warehouse lending. In her new role, Cochran will be responsible for client acquisition and training, marketing and development of referral sources that will guide her unit's future expansion.

Before joining Simmons, Cochran worked primarily in correspondent sales at the likes of Citi and Wells Fargo. More recently, she helped head warehouse financing operations at financial institutions, such as Flagstar Bank and Comerica.

USAlliance expands home finance ops, adds Alex Clarke

USAlliance Financial, the credit union based in Rye, New York, recently welcomed Alex Clarke as vice president of real estate lending. In his new position, he will advance USAlliance efforts to grow its mortgage division with competitive products and streamlined technology, tapping into his background in lending operations, risk management and secondary markets. Clarke comes to the credit union after previously holding a similar role at Leader Bank.

Planet Financial boosts non-agency production, adds Tim Fisher, Rob Parsley

Left to right: Tim Fisher, Rob Parsley

Meriden, Connecticut-headquartered Planet Financial Group, with businesses across channels, upped its production team with the addition of Tim Fisher as senior vice president, non-agency lending. With a career spanning mortgage operations from originations to capital markets, Fisher will be responsible for developing new relationships and leading teams to support Planet Financial's expansion in non-agency production. Along with prior lending leadership roles at Deephaven Mortgage and SG Capital Partners, Fisher also held key positions at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley earlier in his career.

The national lender also welcomed Rob Parsley as senior vice president, non-agency sales, responsible for bringing Planet Financial's products to market. Before joining the company, Parsley served in leadership at the likes of Lima One Capital, Carrington Mortgage Services and Citadel Servicing Corp.