Dark Matter Appoints Former Ellie Mae Exec Vikas Rao As Deputy Chief Product Officer
Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter) announced the appointment of Vikas Rao as deputy chief product officer. Reporting directly to Chief Product Officer Stephanie Durflinger, Rao is charged with overseeing enhancements to the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) and establishing Dark Matter’s developer community, which will help lenders embed automation deeper in their origination workflows and more tightly integrate their systems using open application programming interfaces (APIs) and widgets.
Rao previously served as vice president of product management for mortgage origination technology provider Ellie Mae®. There, Rao pushed the “next generation” of mortgage technology, leading product strategy for the Encompass® loan origination platform and for Ellie Mae’s Developer Connect solution, a suite of APIs that enabled lenders and partners to securely share information. Though Rao took a career break following the $11 billion acquisition of Ellie Mae by Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) in 2020, he ultimately found the opportunity to help guide Dark Matter’s tech transformation too compelling to pass up.
“Dark Matter’s pioneering advancements in automation and AI are reshaping the mortgage landscape,” Rao said. “I’m eager to apply my expertise to propel Dark Matter’s mission forward, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in mortgage origination and amplifying our impact on the homebuying experience of lenders and consumers alike.”
“Vikas has an impressive track record of success in driving digital innovation and API utilization in mortgage origination,” said Dark Matter CEO Rich Gagliano. “With his technical chops and effective leadership style, Vika will play a pivotal role in our mission to empower lenders through AI, automation and innovation.”
Rao has over 15 years of experience in software engineering, product management and technology leadership spanning public and private companies within the mortgage industry and in Silicon Valley’s startup scene. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science and is a 2017 graduate of Stanford University’s Stanford Ignite executive education program.
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