Execs On The Move

Planet Home Lending has hired Candice McNaught as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives for the Distributed Retail channel. McNaught brings more than 16 years of experience in driving revenue growth, recruiting high-performing sales teams, and implementing strategic initiatives across the financial industry.

Constructive Capital, a wholesale capital provider for mortgage brokers and real estate investors, has hired Megan Castleton as chief credit officer. In this role, Castleton will develop and implement credit policies to ensure sound lending practices and drive technological innovation.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Opens Doors Foundation (Opens Doors) welcomed Owen Lee, 2025 MBA Vice Chair and CEO of Success Mortgage Partners (SMP), and philanthropist Mary Clarke Stevens to its Board of Directors. Opens Doors provides mortgage and rental assistance to families with critically ill or injured children, allowing parents and guardians to be by a child’s side during treatment, without fear of jeopardizing their home.

Dean Kelker will retire from his role as senior vice president and chief risk officer of SingleSource Property Solutions effective Dec. 31. Kelker, who has nearly four decades’ experience in the real estate finance industry, spent more than a decade at SingleSource mentoring employees and contributing to the company’s growth.

Cornerstone Home Lending, a division of Cornerstone Capital Bank—a national provider of mortgage origination and servicing solutions and commercial, institutional and consumer banking services—has promoted Jay Crowell to the newly created role of president – national retail division. Crowell will drive the strategy and continued growth of Cornerstone’s national retail and Realtor affiliate sales and operations.

Redefining Business Intelligence (RBI), an AI-driven data science firm, announced that co-founder Laura Lasher has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Lasher is an award-winning executive with over 40 years of experience in home finance, real estate, and entrepreneurship. She is the company’s first CEO and will lead the firm in expanding its delivery of advanced AI-powered analytics.

NewFed Mortgage, an independent mortgage banking leader known for its commitment to technology-driven innovation and personalized lending solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Scherer as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). With over two decades of experience in the mortgage industry, Rick Scherer will play a pivotal role in guiding NewFed’s ambitious national expansion and market dominance as the company continues its growth trajectory.

Optimal Blue announced two key executive promotions that will position the company to deliver innovation faster across the company’s entire capital markets platform, and to further expand the company’s network of partners. Erin Wester has been promoted to chief product officer and Mike Vough has been promoted to head of corporate strategy.

Dark Matter Technologies’ Sean Dugan, the company’s chief revenue officer, will succeed Rich Gagliano as CEO effective April 2025. Gagliano, who launched Dark Matter in 2023 following over a decade of leadership at its predecessor, Black Knight Origination Technologies, will step into the role of executive chairman.

National mortgage lender Certainty Home Lending, a Rate Company, has appointed long time mortgage origination professionals Larry Torch as Executive Vice President, Divisional Manager and Craig Thomason as Vice President, Mortgage Lending.