Rocket, Cenlar, Mid America Mortgage make management moves

November 23, 2021 10:43 AM

Rocket Cos. promotes Nicole Beattie to CEO of Amrock

Amrock, the title and settlement services provider within

, tapped Nicole Beattie as its new chief executive officer. Beattie steps into the head role at Amrock after serving as executive vice president of mortgage servicing for four years at sister business Rocket Mortgage, where she was in charge of a portfolio of more than $1 trillion. Beattie has been with Detroit-based Rocket Cos. for almost 18 years, and takes over the position following the retirement of Brian Hughes.

While leading servicing operations, Beattie helped oversee the release of proprietary technology to assist Rocket’s clients during the pandemic. “I’m excited to build on the company’s momentum, continuing to create technology solutions that improve the mortgage-closing experience for our lender partners and the clients they serve,” Beattie said.

Guaranteed Rate adds past Google, Facebook leader Ramesh Sarukkai

Guaranteed Rate

, which funded over $73 billion in originations last year, announced the hiring of Silicon Valley technology expert Dr. Ramesh Sarukkai as its new chief product and technology officer. Sarukkai will oversee expansion of Chicago-based Guaranteed Rate's digital product portfolio into new financial services, as well as enhancing its current mortgage products.

The author of “Foundations of Web Technology” and holder of more than 50 issued or pending patents, Sarukkai has held leadership roles at several Silicon Valley ventures for two decades, including most recently as head of engineering and product for Braintree/PayPal. He also previously led payments teams at Facebook and YouTube monetization efforts at Google.

Cenlar names Scott Goldman VP to manage risk management controls

Cenlar announced the hiring of Scott Goldman as vice president of issues management. In the role, Goldman will oversee a team responsible for the company’s response to servicing and risk-control issues. In October, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency hit Cenlar with a

consent order after prior warnings

about “deficiencies” in its risk management program and required “comprehensive corrective actions” from the subservicer and wholesale lending bank, which is based in Ewing, New Jersey.

A two-decade servicing industry veteran, Goldman most recently served as senior director of mortgage servicing at Ally Financial, where he developed operational practices for risk assessments in order to test federal and state laws and regulations. “My goal here is to really set a standard that enables Cenlar to continue to provide the highest quality service experience to our clients and their homeowners,” Goldman said.

Planet Home Lending taps Dan Granieri as chief technology officer

National lender and servicer Planet Home Lending, with headquarters in Meriden, Connecticut, appointed Dan Granieri as its chief technology officer. In the role, Granieri will be responsible for creating new technology tools. “A key initiative at Planet Home Lending is the completion of our end-to-end e-close platform for borrowers and partners,” Granieri said.

Granieri joins Planet Home after years leading technology teams at organizations across industries, including mortgage lender Summit Funding, insurance brokers EPIC Insurance and Relation Insurance and health services provider Quest Diagnostics.

ReverseVision hires Bill Mitchell as chief revenue officer

ReverseVision, the technology platform supporting

reverse mortgage

transactions, named fintech veteran Bill Mitchell chief revenue officer, a new position within the San Diego-based company. Mitchell will be responsible for ReverseVision’s sales, business development and marketing as the company continues expansion. It currently counts 50 of the top reverse-mortgage lenders among its clientele. “There is an enormous amount of opportunity on the horizon for lenders to leverage our technology to augment their revenue streams as the mortgage market tightens,” said Joe Langner, president and CEO at ReverseVision.

Mitchell previously held senior and executive-level roles at several software firms, fintechs and startups, including OpenClose and Mortgage Builder Software, and brings expertise in loan origination systems and mortgage technology tools.

Mid America Mortgage adds industry vets Gary McKiddy, Dennis Loxton

Left to right: Gary McKiddy, Dennis Loxton

Residential lender Mid America Mortgage, serving retail, wholesale and correspondent channels, announced the hiring of two executives to its team. Financial industry veteran Gary McKiddy returns to the company, headquartered in Addison, Texas, as chief risk officer. In the role, McKiddy will manage risk and compliance for the lender’s operations, as Mid America continues adding to its suite of products. McKiddy previously held financial leadership positions at Ascent Energy — which became Mid America Mortgage in 2003 — Atlantic Richfield and Arco. For the last 19 years, he has held the title of CFO at mortgage banker NTFN, where he maintained $200 million warehouse line commitments with multiple financial institutions, and was responsible for financial operations across departments.

“Given his experience with our organization and wealth of industry knowledge, Gary McKiddy is the perfect addition to our executive team to help us mitigate risk as we expand our product lines,” said Mid America’s owner and CEO Jeff Bode.

The company also hired expert Dennis Loxton as national sales manager of its reverse-mortgage division. Loxton will be responsible for recruiting new loan officers to join Mid America’s team. Loxton previously served as regional sales director at reverse mortgage specialist American Advisors Group and also gained experience in reverse products at several companies, including Liberty Home Equity Solutions and Sun West Mortgage Co. Loxton also distributes a newsletter about the reverse mortgage market for those in financial services.

Cherry Creek Mortgage hires Ty Kern, Bruce Barnes, Jim Cory

Left to right: Ty Kern, Jim Cory, Bruce Barnes

Cherry Creek Mortgage named retail-loan veteran Ty Kern as executive managing director. In his new position, Kern will be responsible for

automation efforts

intended to streamline loan production and processing. Kern joins Cherry Creek from Sun West Mortgage Co., where he was executive managing director of national production, helping to close nearly $3 billion of loans last year. He has also held positions within the mortgage industry at Home Point Financial, Emery Financial and Citi.

The Denver-based lender also announced the expansion of its reverse-mortgage division, tapping experts Bruce Barnes and Jim Cory as managing directors of the unit. The company intends to expand its reverse mortgage presence in retail, wholesale and closed loan production. Barnes most recently helped lead EcoChain Systems, a company he founded, and has also been in senior roles at Live Well Financial and Silvergate Bank, while Cory has held executive positions at companies, including Live Well Financial, Seattle Mortgage and Fannie Mae. He is also vice chair of the board of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.

“With the recent strong rise in home price appreciation around the country and our ability to securitize and service the reverse product, it’s an opportune moment to showcase reverse mortgages, which can be a valuable tool for seniors,” said Rick Seehausen, president and COO of Cherry Creek Mortgage.

Mortgage Connect hires valuations expert Andrew Bough

Mortgage Connect, a national services provider to the mortgage industry, announced the appointment of Andrew Bough as its executive vice president and head of valuations for Valuation Connect, the Pittsburgh-based company’s

appraisal management

unit. Bough will be responsible for the growth of its valuation tools and will lead the company's continued efforts on digital applications. A certified appraiser since 1993, Bough previously held leadership roles overseeing valuations with other lenders, including Solidifi, JPMorgan Chase and ING Direct USA.

Toorak Capital appoints Freddie Mac leader C. Lamar Myers as principal

Toorak Capital Partners, a leading provider of funding for the residential commercial real estate community, tapped affordable housing expert C. Lamar Myers as principal and head of multifamily business development. Myers joins the Summit, New Jersey-based Toorak from Freddie Mac, where he was responsible for production and sales in its small-balance loans program in the Northeast region. Previously, he served as a director in New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, responsible for a multifamily development program to preserve affordable housing, and also held roles at Citigroup and consultancy Alvarez & Marsal.

“His experience working in affordable multifamily preservation for New York City will be invaluable as we focus on incorporating affordable and social initiatives into our offerings,” said John Beacham, CEO of Toorak Capital Partners.

Eastern Union names Abraham Bergman president and CEO, adds directors

Commercial real estate financier Eastern Union recently tapped co-founder and managing partner Abraham Bergman to serve as president and CEO. Bergman takes over the helm from Ira Zlotowitz, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities in commercial real estate. Bergman helped shape New York-based Eastern Union’s strategy and structure since its inception in 2001 and led sales across all of its sectors, including conventional commercial mortgage, structured debt, health care and hospitality.

The company also announced three additions to its board of directors, including the appointment of its two most productive brokers, Marc Tropp and Michael Muller. They both currently hold the title of senior managing director. Another longtime member of the company’s team, Moshe Maybloom also joined Eastern Union’s board, as well as taking over the role of senior managing director of operations.

Nexval adds marketing veteran Marie Fernandez-Abou

Miami-based tech services provider Nexval appointed Marie Fernandez-Abou chief marketing officer. She will be responsible for Nexval’s marketing strategy and activities, including branding and digital efforts. The company offers origination support, title and settlement services, servicing and risk management solutions among its suite of products. For more than a decade, Fernandez-Abou was a managing partner at Imagery Creative.

Trez Capital promotes Sandra LaFontaine to chief compliance officer

Vancouver, Canada-based Trez Capital, a global commercial real estate financier, recently appointed Sandra LaFontaine to chief compliance officer. In her new position, she will ensure compliance with statutory obligations across North America and provide strategy guidance to Trez’s directors. LaFontaine has served the company since 2014 as director, compliance, and previously held the title of chief compliance officer position at Mirabaud Canada and Mirabaud Gestion. She also brings experience as a compliance examiner for regulators.

New American Funding appoints Tony Blodgett executive VP

Retail lender New American Funding, with a servicing portfolio of more than 214,000 loans amounting close to $56 billion, promoted Tony Blodgett to executive vice president, retail sales. He most recently served as senior vice president, Northwest region, for the Tustin, California-based lender. In his new role, Blodgett will be in charge of the company’s retail sales nationwide, working with loan officers and developing procedures to promote growth and profitability in each region.

NewPoint hires Bryan Dickson, Karen Kim to serve as managing directors

Left to right: Karen Kim, Bryan Dickson

NewPoint Real Estate Capital, a commercial financier launched this year as a joint venture of mortgage brokerage Meridian Capital Group and investment manager Barings, announced the hiring of Bryan Dickson and Karen Kim, both as managing directors of affordable originations. The appointments serve the company’s goal to build a leading affordable-housing finance platform “We are intensely focused on NewPoint becoming a leading multifamily lender. In today’s market, that means becoming a leader in affordable housing finance,” said NewPoint CEO David Brickman.

Dickson and Kim will focus on agency and proprietary affordable housing lending, joining NewPoint’s product and underwriting teams. Dickson most recently served as regional director for Citi Community Capital, responsible for affordable housing debt origination and investment banking in the Mid-Atlantic region. Before joining Citi, Dickson had tenures at Berkshire Mortgage Finance, the Illinois Housing Development Authority and Freddie Mac, where he worked in its targeted affordable housing sales and investments group. Kim comes to NewPoint from Greystone & Co. where she was a relationship manager overseeing a portfolio that included several top affordable-housing developers. Previously, Kim worked in the nonprofit sector.

Greystone Affordable Development names James Baugh vice president

Photo by Christer Berg

New York-based Greystone, a leader in multifamily commercial lending, appointed housing tax credit expert James Baugh as vice president, finance, in its Greystone Affordable Development affiliate. Before joining Greystone, Baugh worked for several other regional or national affordable housing groups, where he guided transactions involving almost 100 properties consisting of approximately 6,800 units. He brings expertise in development, investor relations, capital markets and asset management.

In his role, Baugh will be based in Ohio and lead analysts and asset managers responsible for providing capital solutions for Greystone Affordable Development’s pipeline of projects.

“As our team continues expansion into new suburban and urban markets across the region, we look to apply all of the affordable housing finance tools at our disposal,” said Tanya Eastwood, president and CEO of Greystone Affordable Development.