The 2025 Lending Luminary Award Winners Are …
A luminary is defined as “a person who inspires or influences others.” And that type of person is exactly who PROGRESS in Lending is honoring. Right now, the market is filled with uncertainty, but these true Lending Luminaries are handling and navigating the constantly fluctuating market conditions. These mortgage bankers, lenders, servicers, technology executives, consultants, etc. are helping their companies and this industry thrive. These executives deserve to be recognized for their industry vision and leadership. The 7th Annual 2025 Lending Luminary Award Winners are:
Ross Blackmon
Senior Vice President, Head of Sales – Mortgage Solutions
First American Mortgage Solutions
Ross Blackmon spends a great deal of time gaining understanding on how his team interact with our client partners, operations, and the technology they use daily in order to optimize the completion of their work activities. As a result of Ross building a culture of excellence, the First American Lender Division’s title manufacturing, turn times and quality have improved substantially under his leadership with the continued expansion of Clear2Go®, Sequoia, and our artificial intelligence initiatives. Market share for Blackmon’s division within document generation and valuations substantially increased from the beginning of 2024 through 2025, as Ross is known for taking the time to sit down with lenders and develop “win – win” efficiency gains and process improvements. Blackmon credits this growth to a “non-sales-like” approach. Lender clients describe Blackmon as leading with a process improvement mindset, rather than a sales mentality. He’s known to personally visit lenders to help identify and troubleshoot process inefficiencies. His First American colleagues describe Blackmon as a proactive leader who partners with customers to find the right solutions, with the belief that what’s best for the customer is what’s best for the company. Blackmon implemented a feedback mechanism on all borrower communications to identify and mitigate customer challenges with great speed and efficiency. He also led the First American Lender Division’s initiative to adopt the Net Promoter® Score methodology. Businesses that Blackmon supports have maintained a Net Promoter® Score of over 75 the past 12 months placing them in the same company as Apple, Amazon, and Southwest Airlines.
Ross Blackmon is exceptionally equipped to lead through the dynamic changes currently reshaping the mortgage industry. With over 20 years of experience spanning loan origination, servicing, retention, disposition, and mortgage technology, Ross brings a deep understanding of the full mortgage lifecycle and the challenges lenders and servicers face today. As Senior Vice President, Head of Sales for First American’s Lender Division which includes its Mortgage Solutions, Docutech, FirstFunding, and ServiceMac business lines, Ross leads a national sales organization that partners with many of the country’s top lenders and servicers. His consultative leadership style focuses on listening to client needs and delivering tailored solutions that drive operational efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, and enhance the borrower experience. This approach is especially critical in today’s environment, where rising interest rates, shifting borrower expectations, and increased regulatory scrutiny demand agility and innovation. Ross is actively guiding his teams and clients through digital transformation initiatives that streamline processes and reduce costs. He leverages First American’s robust suite of data, analytics, and technology solutions to help clients modernize their operations—from title and settlement to valuation and collateral file management. His specialized knowledge in global platform delivery and mortgage technology enables him to identify scalable solutions that improve speed-to-close and reduce risk. In response to the growing demand for automation and data-driven decision-making, Ross is championing the integration of advanced analytics and AI-powered tools across the mortgage ecosystem. These innovations not only improve accuracy and efficiency but also empower lenders to deliver a more personalized and seamless experience to borrowers. Ross understands that technology must be paired with strategic insight, and he works closely with clients to ensure that solutions are aligned with their long-term goals.
Matt Borba
VP – Head of Asset Management
Asset Based Lending
Over the past year, Matt has played a pivotal role in reshaping Asset Based Lending’s (ABL) asset management strategy, ensuring the company is not only more efficient but also better positioned to thrive in an uncertain lending environment. His leadership has combined operational innovation, risk management foresight, and a people-first approach that inspires his team and influences colleagues across the organization. One of Matt’s first major initiatives was reorganizing the asset management department into two specialized functions: draws and foreclosures. Previously, team members carried dual responsibilities, which caused inefficiencies and diluted focus. By creating dedicated teams, Matt ensured that draws could be processed with faster turnaround times while foreclosures received the specialized attention they demand. This restructuring has led to measurable improvements in KPIs, borrower satisfaction, and resolution times. Equally important, Matt promoted and developed two team leads who now take an active role in shaping policies, managing escalations, and mentoring their teams. This not only strengthened the department but also cultivated the next generation of leaders at ABL.
In addition to operational restructuring, Matt championed other innovations that now set ABL apart in the private lending space. He designed a watch list system in collaboration with underwriting – a proactive tool that assigns point values to risk indicators such as missed payments, stop work orders, or delayed projects. Loans that meet certain thresholds are flagged and discussed monthly, enabling asset management to play an active role in underwriting decisions. This unique collaboration has enhanced credit quality, provided valuable market intelligence, and allowed ABL to avoid losses by identifying problem loans before they escalate. Matt also spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive national permit database – a resource that catalogs permitting requirements, zoning laws, and timelines for every state and county where ABL lends. This seven-month project now empowers draws and foreclosure teams to quickly verify borrower claims, anticipate project delays, and keep construction timelines on track. The database has become an indispensable internal tool and a clear competitive advantage, reflecting Matt’s commitment to arming his teams with the knowledge and clarity they need to be effective. In addition, Matt led the successful integration of a virtual inspection platform and borrower portal. Fully implemented in July 2025, this technology now centralizes budgets, inspections, and communication, creating greater transparency for borrowers and efficiency for ABL’s staff. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with both clients and employees praising the system’s ease of use and reliability. But what truly sets Matt apart is his leadership philosophy. He empowers his team through trust and autonomy, encouraging problem-solving, open communication, and learning from mistakes. His open-door approach fosters inter-departmental collaboration, breaking down silos and ensuring asset management is viewed as a strategic partner, not just a back-office function.
Cindy Borden
Head of MCP Essentials Sales
Mortgage Cadence, an Accenture Co.
Cindy Borden is a powerhouse in mortgage technology sales and customer success, with a deep understanding of the industry shaped by decades of hands-on experience. With over 35 years in financial services and 20 in mortgage lending, Cindy’s expertise runs deep. At Mortgage Cadence, Cindy has held several key roles over her 13-year tenure, each expanding her impact across departments and customer segments. Currently, as Head of MCP Essentials Sales at Mortgage Cadence, she leads with empathy, expertise, and unmatched dedication—personally guiding each client to the right solution and forging lasting partnerships. Her leadership was instrumental in the successful launch of MCP Essentials, bringing enterprise-grade lending technology to smaller lenders in a way that’s never been done before. Cindy isn’t just a leader—she’s the trusted voice both clients and internal teams turn to for guidance, and her work continues to shape the trajectory of our business.
If there’s one thing Cindy has learned over her years in the industry, it’s that change is constant. Lenders must respond to each change, but today they are doing so in a much more constructive way. In the past, it was about making wholesale changes to technology platforms to respond to industry changes, whether they came from regulators, investors or changing borrower needs. That was a slow, expensive process. Today, Cindy and her team help lenders implement and operate MCP Essentials, the award-winning configuration of the Mortgage Cadence next-generation MPC LOS. Essentials comes with all the tools lenders need to make their loan origination technology operate the way they want to do business. MCP Essentials allows lenders to address the changes they constantly face. What Cindy specializes in is helping lenders vocalize and create systems to support their strategy and market approach, and then leveraging her team to help them configure their MCP Essentials LOS to deliver those outcomes.
Laura Brandao
CEO
Lighthouse Advisors
Over the past 12 months, Laura Brandao has exemplified visionary leadership, tireless industry advocacy, and transformational impact across multiple organizations and initiatives, establishing herself as one of the most influential figures in the mortgage and housing sectors today. In 2024, Laura joined the Board of Directors for MLB Mortgage, helping guide the company through strategic growth in wholesale and correspondent lending, as well as supporting the launch of innovative products such as second-lien programs and renovation concierge services. Her leadership extended into technology and operational modernization by joining the boards of Friday Harbor AI, ClearCloser, MoreAlign.ai, and Strack Ventures each offering forward-thinking solutions to accelerate digital transformation and efficiency in mortgage operations, compliance, and vendor connectivity. Laura’s presence on these boards has not been passive; she has helped shape go-to-market strategies, advised on product development through a lender lens, and facilitated partnerships that bridge gaps between lenders, brokers, and technology providers.
MoreAlign.ai, in particular, has benefited from Laura’s leadership, launching a revolutionary mortgage and real estate marketplace that connects vetted tech solutions, consultants, and lenders through AI-powered matchmaking. Simultaneously, Laura has remained a steadfast leader in professional associations. As Vice President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey (MBANJ), she has elevated educational programming, broker advocacy, and statewide collaboration. She also serves as the Chair of Women With Vision (WWV), where she has grown national membership, launched mentorship and mastermind series, and hosted events that empower women in all career stages to step into leadership with confidence and clarity. At the national level, Laura holds multiple influential roles: • As Chair of the NAMMBA Visionary Program, she is developing a new generation of diverse mortgage leaders. • On NAMB’s Emerging Programs Committee, she is helping shape new initiatives that respond to market needs and elevate broker resources. • She is a Founding Member of NAMB Inspire, a platform uplifting industry professionals through peer mentorship and purpose-driven engagement. • Additionally, Laura is a Founding Member of AIME Women’s Mortgage Network (WMN), where she plays a key role in programming and national events that promote inclusion, professional growth, and collaboration.
Laura’s leadership philosophy centers on clarity, connection, and impact. Whether guiding a company to modernize operations, mentoring a rising star, or creating platforms for underrepresented voices, she consistently leads by example, uniting people around purpose, expanding access to opportunity, and lighting the path forward for others to succeed. Her influence is not confined to titles; it’s reflected in the hundreds of mortgage professionals she’s coached, the technologies she’s elevated, the companies she’s helped grow, and the industry culture she’s shaped toward a more collaborative, innovative, and inclusive future.
John Cady
CEO & President
Citywide Home Mortgage
John Cady has orchestrated a remarkable transformation at Citywide Home Mortgage during the past 12 months, achieving extraordinary growth despite market headwinds. Under his leadership, the company expanded from 32 to all 50 states while establishing 33 new branch offices. Most significantly, Citywide originated over $1.2 billion in mortgage volume, representing an over 400% increase year-over-year. John’s leadership philosophy centers on empowering decision-makers throughout the organization while eliminating hierarchical bottlenecks that typically impede operational efficiency. He implemented a “sustainably lean production” model that leverages a robust technological infrastructure and deep resources alongside the personalized service delivery characteristic of boutique providers. This approach enables Citywide to offer comprehensive product portfolios while maintaining rapid response times and superior service levels.
His innovative charter branch model has successfully attracted collaborative leaders seeking meaningful growth opportunities. This approach grants partners substantial latitude in decision-making, creating an environment where experienced professionals can operate with minimal bureaucratic constraints. The model fosters accountability and entrepreneurship that drives sustained performance improvements. Industry professionals and longtime partners acknowledge that Citywide has evolved into a fundamentally different organization under John’s guidance. This recognition reflects comprehensive changes spanning operational processes, corporate culture and market positioning. The dramatic volume increase during industry-wide contraction underscores his strategic vision and execution capabilities. John’s approach to professional development and mentorship has created a positive organizational culture that attracts high-performing individuals while retaining existing talent. His belief that mortgage professionals excel when provided with appropriate tools and decision-making authority has translated into measurable business results. The geographic expansion and volume growth reflect strategic acumen and his ability to build organizational capabilities necessary for rapid scaling. Through his leadership at Citywide, John has demonstrated that mortgage companies can achieve sustained growth by prioritizing operational agility, technological innovation and professional empowerment.
Jeremy Davis
President of Mortgage
Southern Bancorp Bank
Jeremy Davis is reshaping what it means to lead with both margin and mission. As President of Mortgage at Southern Bancorp, a $3 billion nationally recognized Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and B-Corp, he has delivered fivefold growth in mortgage production, while expanding access to responsible homeownership in communities that legacy systems have long overlooked. In the last 12 months, Jeremy launched Southern’s H.O.M.E. Initiative (Harnessing Opportunities for Mortgage Equity) — a purpose-driven affordable housing strategy rooted in community-based education programs and supported by mission-aligned deposits. This includes multilingual outreach, LMI lending, culturally fluent underwriting and forgivable down payment assistance. This work helped more than 1,000 underserved borrowers access homeownership, deployed more than $1 million in independently secured DPA capital and drove lending outcomes where 40% of loans were to first time homebuyers, 65% of borrowers were minorities and 75% were LMI households. He also introduced the Wealth Builders for Everyone suite of programs, including HomeRise100, a 100% loan program developed in partnership with CDFIs nationwide, and Revive25, a down payment assistance program providing $25,000 toward down payment, closing costs and permanent rate reductions, pairing approvals with staying-approved, adding HUD counseling, early-warning analytics, and loss-mitigation pathways that protect families and performance. These programs have saved families between $17,000–$27,000 in the first five years of ownership and raised millions in capital for disbursement & education to stop the current trend of declining homeownership, especially in diverse market segments.
But Jeremy isn’t just building pipelines. He’s educating and building trust. Under his leadership, Southern’s mortgage team is now 65% women and 68% minority, representing Black, Latino/Hispanic, Romanian, Egyptian and Middle Eastern communities. He has implemented cultural underwriting training, rebuilt LO recruiting models and introduced referral pipelines through barbershops, churches and community centers, proving inclusive lending isn’t charity. It’s strategy. Southern’s team now mirrors the communities it serves, ensuring inclusion lives not only in mission statements but also in staffing, products, process and outcomes. Jeremy’s impact has been recognized nationally. In the past year, Jeremy was honored as a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner and received the 2024 MBA Leadership Award for Market Outreach Strategies, cementing his influence as both a practitioner and movement builder. His industry voice appears in U.S. News & World Report, MBA NewsLink, Scotsman Guide, and his MikedUp Show interview ranked in the top 10 percent of episodes for first-week engagement with 80,000 unique views. He continues to shape industry conversations through articles like “The Math Ain’t Mathing” and “You Can’t Budget Your Way Out of a Broken System,” and by mentoring the next generation of mortgage leaders committed to purpose-driven production.
Jack Friend
Chief Strategy & Product Officer
Insellerate
Jack Friend transformed strategic AI concepts into high-performing tools used by thousands of lending professionals. He led the advancement of Aithena’s lead scoring and Voice Agent technologies—delivering measurable impact: 9× ROI at Agave Home Loans and a 38% increase in worked leads at Ladera Lending. Jack turns product vision into scalable innovation, driving adoption, automation, and conversion across every lending channel.
Jack’s strategy is rooted in continuous improvement, rapid iteration, and deep integration. He is scaling AI solutions that increase decision speed, automate outreach, and surface data insights inside lender workflows. By focusing on adaptability and seamless tech adoption, Jack is enabling mortgage teams to improve efficiency, compete smarter, and consistently deliver high-performance lending experiences—regardless of market volatility.
Josh Friend
Founder & CEO
Insellerate
Josh Friend is redefining how technology powers modern mortgage lending. As Founder & CEO of Insellerate, he led the design, launch, and rapid adoption of Aithena, a purpose-built AI platform for originators that turns everyday borrower and agent interactions into actionable intelligence and measurable production gains.
Over the last year, Josh transformed AI from buzzword to business outcome. Aithena’s intelligent lead scoring, real-time coaching, and agentic voice capabilities helped lenders focus effort where it converts, improve call quality, and eliminate follow-up bottlenecks. Results include:
- 9X ROI in 90 days at Agave Home Loans through smarter prioritization and automated follow-up.
- 89.4% first-call close prediction accuracy, a 38% lift in worked opportunities, and a 21% decline in unqualified inquiries at Ladera Lending.
- Portfolio-wide insight that high-scoring leads convert at 13.75% vs. 0% for low-scoring, giving executives a clear, defensible focus for staffing and spend.
Beyond KPIs, Josh advanced industry education—speaking nationally, publishing practical playbooks, and guiding dozens of lenders through responsible AI adoption. Aithena was recognized as “Top Demo Winner” at the 2025 Digital Mortgage Conference, validating its innovation and real-world impact.
A former top-producing LO himself, Josh blends field credibility with product vision. His leadership delivered a platform that doesn’t just analyze data—it acts, learns, and coaches, helping teams originate more efficiently while delivering a superior borrower and partner experience.
Sarah Gonzalez
CIO
Logan Finance
Over the past 12 months, Sarah Gonzalez has been instrumental in transforming Logan Finance’s operational foundation, driving forward-looking innovation in Non-QM lending. When Sarah joined as Head of Mortgage Operations in February 2024, she immediately leveraged her decade of deep industry expertise to drive down manufacturing costs through sustainable process improvements while maintaining Logan’s commitment to making ‘Non-QM easy’ and enhancing the company’s signature high-touch customer experience. Her strategic vision led to measurable improvements in operational efficiency, supporting Logan Finance’s continued dominance as a top-five Non-QM lender. In early 2025, recognizing her unique ability to balance operational excellence with innovation, Sarah transitioned into the role of Chief Innovation Officer. Here, she built and empowered a team of subject-matter experts dedicated to enhancing both customer and employee experiences through integrated improvements in people, process, product, and technology. Her holistic approach to innovation has strengthened Logan’s market position, strengthening its reputation as a forward-thinking leader in the Non-QM space. By combining operational discipline with a culture of innovation, Sarah has not only driven measurable results for Logan Finance but has also helped shape broader industry practices around sustainable growth, efficiency, and customer experience.
Michael Hammond
Founder & President
NexLevel Advisors
While many executives focus solely on advancing their own organization, Michael Hammond has dedicated his career to empowering others. As the founder and president of NexLevel Advisors, he partners with lenders, fintech firms, and mortgage professionals to accelerate growth through strategic marketing leadership. From branding and content creation to public relations, digital advertising, social media strategy, video marketing, and podcast development, Hammond helps companies craft compelling narratives, elevate their visibility, and build trust with their audiences. His tailored approach aligns marketing with business objectives—driving engagement, increasing influence, and turning thought leadership into measurable business outcomes, even in times of market uncertainty.
Over the past 18 months, Michael has emerged as one of the mortgage industry’s most impactful AI educators and advocates. Through dozens of live trainings, webinars, keynote sessions, and published articles, he has empowered mortgage professionals to not only understand AI—but to apply it in meaningful, revenue-generating ways. His work bridges the gap between technology and trust, showing loan officers and lenders how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Riverside, and Opus Clips to elevate their thought leadership, personalize borrower engagement, and create authentic, high-converting content at scale.
He’s been a leading voice in helping professionals adapt to the “point-of-thought vs. point-of-sale” shift in buyer behavior—guiding them to anticipate needs, create value-rich content, and build stronger connections through AI-enabled outreach. Through NexLevel’s guidance, organizations are transforming from passive marketers into proactive educators, equipped to compete in an increasingly digital and data-driven marketplace.
Twyla Hankins
COO
American Financial Network, Inc.
Keeping American Financial Network, Inc. (AFN) fleet-footed and agile has been key to the company’s success over the last twelve months. By collaborating with peer executives on technological advances, leading the charge for swift company-wide adaptation, initiating comprehensive training for deploying new technologies, and striving for measured improvements and operational excellence, AFN’s Chief Operating Officer, Twyla Hankins, has positioned AFN to exceed all expectations of success.
Hankins has a proven track record of taking advantage of the best and most advanced industry software to drive the company’s production and operations. Hankins has skillfully guided the Loan Origination System (LOS) team in implementing mechanisms that balance the need for swift progression through the loan pipeline with the steadfast requirement of regulatory compliance. Hankins is adept at spearheading LOS projects that simplify keeping up with demands, trends, and regulations for all parties, including Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs) and their clientele. By harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the many ways it can carry out mundane tasks through automation, allowing personnel to concentrate on tasks that require human intelligence, Hankins and Team AFN are shaving days off the traditional 30-day mortgage and making the 15-day mortgage a reality.
James Hecht
CEO
OneTrust Home Loans
Over the past year, James Hecht has demonstrated exceptional leadership that has propelled both OneTrust Home Loans and the broader mortgage industry forward. Since taking on the role of CEO, he has focused on strengthening the company’s foundation while expanding its reach, particularly through distributed retail and builder joint venture platforms. These efforts have created new growth opportunities, expanded market share, and provided vital support to builders at a time when many face significant headwinds. James has also championed innovation. Under his leadership, OneTrust pioneered borrower-centric payment technology that streamlines loan processing, improves transparency, and enhances customer experience. By implementing tools that simplify transactions and reduce operational friction, he has positioned the company as a model for how technology can be leveraged to improve outcomes for both clients and employees.
Equally important has been James’s commitment to culture. He understands that sustainable success requires a strong, engaged team, and he has prioritized creating an environment where employees thrive. That commitment was recognized when OneTrust was named a “Best & Brightest Company to Work For” in Southern California, a testament to the alignment between company culture and performance. Perhaps most notably, James has extended his leadership beyond the company to make a meaningful impact on the industry as a whole. He has worked closely with builders, offering innovative programs, forward commitments, and unmatched execution that directly improve their sales and profitability. By fostering joint ventures and creating win-win partnerships, he has helped strengthen the overall housing ecosystem. In every respect, James has shown that his leadership is not confined to driving company performance, it is about shaping the future of mortgage lending. His ability to balance operational excellence, cultural strength, and industry collaboration embodies the qualities of a true luminary in today’s mortgage market.
Keith Kemph
President & CEO
BlackFin Group
As evidenced by the continued closure and fading of countless industry consultants in the mortgage industry, Keith Kemph’s original vision for BlackFin is what has allowed him and his team to sustain the market these last couple years. By first surrounding himself with the very best people, not just industry experts who are at the top of their class in their subject matter expertise, but experts who are selfless in their commitment to their client’s success (strategy, cap markets, technology, AI, tech selection and implementation, operations, servicing, agency lending, etc.).
Secondly, by way of his relentless commitment to staying in touch with the current market needs – he has been continuously innovating and launching new and meaningful products, services, and strategies that allow his team to serve Clients no matter where they are at during this challenging markets. Lastly, he and his team’s commitment to both educating and challenging the industry market via their thought leadership is provoking, educating, and leading lenders to do better. Staying true to himself, his selfless leadership has positioned his team to bring the industry exponential value when they needed it most.
Thomas Lloyd
Chief Strategy Officer
Xactus
Over the past year, Thomas Lloyd has played a pivotal role in advancing Xactus’ vision to modernize mortgage verification and solidify its position as a leading fintech partner. He has and continues to be instrumental in shaping our vision and strategy for Xactus360, our Intelligent Verification Platform (IVP), that is redefining how lenders approach verification. By helping move the industry away from static, manual processes toward dynamic, data-driven workflows, Thomas has influenced how lenders make faster, more accurate decisions while reducing waste and inefficiency. In addition, Thomas has been a driving force behind the creation of the Xactus Mortgage Intent Index (XMII), now in beta. This first-of-its-kind index is designed to give the industry new, real-time insights into consumer intent, helping lenders anticipate demand and make more informed business decisions. By pushing forward both platform-level innovation and industry-first data intelligence, Thomas has helped Xactus differentiate itself and deliver measurable outcomes for clients.
His forward-looking vision centers on the launch of the Xactus Mortgage Intent Index (XMII), a groundbreaking tool that will give the industry an unprecedented, forward-looking view of mortgage demand. By equipping lenders with real-time insights into consumer intent, XMII will enable them to anticipate market shifts earlier, allocate resources more effectively, and make stronger business decisions in a volatile environment. Beyond technology, he has strengthened collaboration between Xactus and its clients through initiatives like the Client Advisory Board, ensuring customer input directly shapes innovation. His approach reflects a clear vision: modernization is not about replacing people, but about empowering them with intelligent tools to drive efficiency, reduce risk, and improve the consumer experience, securing a more resilient future for the industry as a whole.
Kevin Marek
Manager, Training and Advisory Services
Sagent
In Kevin Marek’s 23 years at Sagent, he has trained and advised the most successful servicers in America’s $14T servicing sector as they leverage the company’s services and products – including Dara, the industry’s first end-to-end mortgage servicing platform. As Manager of Training and Advisory Services, Kevin is in the trenches with our customers, ensuring that their satisfaction is met and exceeded at every touchpoint. Delivering this level of service requires Kevin to collaborate with every business unit at Sagent, advocating for our customers and keeping them and their needs front and center. Because of Kevin’s tenure at Sagent and in our industry, his expertise is coveted throughout the organization — he has a “finger in all the pies.” Kevin manages a team of specialists across several disciplines, including cashiering, escrow management, and more. He lends his talents to improve Sagent’s legacy products while simultaneously driving the successful development of Dara. Most recently, Kevin and his team have been testing new Dara releases to prove their field-readiness before they’re deployed at scale for the industry’s largest stakeholders. He consults internally, executing process reviews and training programs, but he also directly supports customers, doing casework, ticket analysis and training new customers in how to best use Sagent platforms. He serves as a critical translator between business needs and technical development, keeping Sagent innovative and always focused on the customer experience.
In the past 12 months, Kevin provided critical leadership planning and executing Sagent’s annual customer conference Ignite and developing its Hands-On Training (HOT) sessions. In 2025, Ignite saw an 11% increase in attendance, 90% satisfaction rating, and 100% of attendees said they are very likely to return. Still, Kevin’s proudest professional achievement is his creation of Sagent 360, a customer discovery and awareness session that deploys Sagent experts to listen, analyze, and advise customers on how to use Sagent’s products in the most effective ways for their organizations. Kevin designed Sagent 360 to proactively address customer needs and drive retention while ensuring Sagent platforms are effective in the field for America’s top servicers. On average, Sagent 360 analysts provide 25 action items — process and workflow refinements for customers to gain efficiency and greater value from their implementation of Sagent’s solutions. Customers are Kevin’s passion, and he always keeps their experience, needs, and goals in mind when building or testing products. A true lending luminary, he has the vision and drive to navigate the industry through dynamic and unpredictable market conditions, plus the expertise to understand what a customer needs and effectively work with engineering teams to see a solution come to market. Kevin’s commitment to customers truly sets a new standard for customer experience in the mortgage industry.
Jane Mason
Founder & CEO
Clarifire
Jane Mason, founder and CEO of Clarifire, has spent the past 12 months demonstrating the vision, adaptability, and persistence that have defined her career as one of the mortgage industry’s most influential technology leaders. Under her leadership, Clarifire has not only strengthened its market presence but also helped mortgage servicers and financial institutions navigate some of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today. One of the most visible measures of Jane’s leadership over the past year has been the growing number of servicers that chose the CLARIFIRE platform to modernize their operations, streamline complex processes, reduce manual tasks, and ensure borrowers receive timely support. Among them were Towne Mortgage Company, which implemented CLARIFIRE across its 47-state servicing footprint, and Merchants Bank, which selected the platform to strengthen loss mitigation and borrower responsiveness.
Said Jerry Koors, President of Merchants Mortgage: “CLARIFIRE gives us the power and capabilities to move faster, reduce manual work, and ensure we’re providing a consistent, modern and quality experience for our homeowners.” At a time when efficiency and borrower care are more important than ever, such wins underscore how Jane has established Clarifire as one of the most trusted partners in the servicing industry. At the same time, Jane has made Clarifire synonymous with security and reliability.
In May, Clarifire achieved CSA STAR Level Two Attestation, becoming one of only 58 companies in the U.S.—and the second smallest—to hold this distinction. This milestone required a rigorous third-party audit and nearly two years of preparation, involving new controls, policies, and training across every part of the company. By earning this recognition, Jane has shown that Clarifire can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the largest global technology providers, such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle, in meeting the highest standards of cloud security. Beyond her company’s achievements, Jane has been an active and influential voice in shaping how servicers overcome their most urgent challenges. Over the past year, she has published articles and commentary that highlight how automation and intelligent workflows are not optional, but essential for survival in today’s volatile environment. Her articles and insights have appeared in Forbes, MReport, MortgageOrb, National Mortgage Professional and other publications on topics such as efficiency and profitability, disaster response and homeowner engagement. These efforts have not only reinforced Jane’s reputation as a thought leader, but also give industry stakeholders new ways of thinking about how to address operational bottlenecks and improve borrower experiences.
Jane also continues to serve as a role model for women in technology and entrepreneurship, mentoring young leaders through organizations such as the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and C200. Within Clarifire, she has built a company where more than 40% of employees are women, a proportion well above industry norms in the fintech and mortgage technology sectors. She avidly supports her industry peers by making introductions and sharing ideas for success.
Talia Ramirez
President
Spectrum Solutions
In the past year, Spectrum Solutions President Talia Ramirez has demonstrated the kind of leadership that sets her apart in the industry. In May 2025, she was promoted from senior vice president to President of Spectrum Solutions, a national field services and property preservation company. Since stepping into this expanded role, she has wasted no time strengthening Spectrum’s operations, elevating its profile in the industry, and delivering measurable wins for servicers and investors. Talia is widely recognized as an expert in government preservation and loss recovery strategies with hands-on knowledge across the full default servicing lifecycle, from delinquency through disposition. Talia has the unique dual perspective of having worked on both the servicing side of the business and the property preservation side.
Before joining Spectrum Solutions, she held senior roles at several major financial institutions, including Specialized Loan Servicing (now Shellpoint) and Bank of America. Her background spans managing government, GSE, and mortgage insurance claims, preservation, hazard insurance, quality control, and regulatory compliance. Earlier in her career, Talia pioneered approaches that reduced monthly preservation losses by more than 99% and cut FHA conveyance timelines from years to just 90 days. Over the last 12 months at Spectrum, she has applied those same principles of accountability, vendor oversight, and data-driven performance management to help clients reduce costs, accelerate reimbursements, and improve compliance. Her work has reaffirmed that preservation is not just a cost center but a strategic advantage when managed effectively. Her leadership is also visible on the national industry stage. Talia is an active contributor to the mortgage servicing community. She has spoken at events hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association, Five Star, the National Association of Mortgage Field Services, and the United Trustee’s Association, and has also participated in the National Property Preservation Conference.
Within Spectrum, Talia has created a culture rooted in accountability and collaboration. She has expanded the use of key performance indicators across the organization, ensuring clients receive consistent results. Throughout her career, she has served as a mentor to many, building up future leaders in property preservation who share her commitment to excellence. As Spectrum CEO Matt Martin put it, “Talia’s promotion to President was a natural next step for her and for our company. She has the unique ability to inspire confidence in our clients while driving measurable improvements in their portfolios. Her leadership is raising the bar not just at Spectrum but for the entire industry.”
Eloise Schmitz
CEO & Co-Founder
LoanNEX
Eloise Schmitz is redefining the mortgage tech landscape. Over the past year, she’s led LoanNEX to new heights by pioneering in-system exception handling, embedding PPE tools directly into Encompass, and expanding access to Non-QM products. As a respected capital markets expert and sought-after speaker, she empowers lenders to serve 100% of borrowers—not just the easy ones. Her mantra: “If you can’t see it, you can’t sell it” is transforming the way originators think and thrive.
Eloise is future-proofing lending by augmenting—not replacing—existing workflows with scalable, intuitive technology. Her focus: transparency, confidence, and seamless access to Non-Agency, Non-QM, and emerging loan types. By integrating discovery, pricing, and exceptions into one smart platform, she ensures originators can act faster, investors can price smarter, and borrowers are better served—even in a volatile market. Her leadership fuels real progress, not just promises.
Lisa Schreiber
SVP, Correspondent Lending
eRESI
Over the past 12 months, Lisa has demonstrated exceptional leadership in guiding both eRESI and the broader Non-QM industry to new heights. By anticipating shifting market dynamics, she positioned eRESI as a trusted leader in providing innovative, flexible mortgage solutions at a time when many companies were retreating. Through the strategic development of eRESI’s platform, she focused on delivering innovative products, intuitive technology that drives efficiency and speed, and building a best-in-class support team that engages lenders throughout the entire process. Internally, Lisa has fostered a culture of collaboration and agility that has empowered the eRESI team to adapt quickly to changing conditions. This enabled the company to increase market share, deepen relationships with lending partners, and achieve record growth despite a challenging environment. Externally, she has been a visible advocate for the Non-QM space—educating lenders, setting new standards for transparency, and promoting Non-QM as a sustainable and vital part of the mortgage ecosystem. As a result, eRESI has not only strengthened its own performance but has also advanced the credibility and adoption of Non-QM lending across the industry.
Lisa has developed a clear and forward-looking strategy to navigate the current changes reshaping the Non-QM mortgage industry. Recognizing the evolving regulatory landscape, shifting interest rate environment, and increasing borrower demand for non-traditional solutions, eRESI is proactively investing in technology, strengthening product offerings, and focusing on education to ensure both the company’s and the industry’s long-term success. She plans to leverage advanced data analytics and automation to streamline and improve risk assessment, and enhance customer experience, making Non-QM lending more efficient and scalable for our lenders. At the same time, she is expanding product offerings to help lenders address the needs of self-employed borrowers, real estate investors, and those with unique income profiles; segments that are often underserved by traditional lending. Equally important, Lisa is committed to strengthening trust in the Non-QM sector through transparency and ongoing education for lenders, investors, and originators. By setting higher standards and promoting collaboration across the industry, she aims to ensure that Non-QM remains a sustainable and respected alternative in the mortgage marketplace. Through innovation, responsible growth, and industry leadership, Lisa is positioning both eRESI and the broader Non-QM lending market to thrive in the years to come.
Sandeep Shivam
Head of Touchless Lending Experience
Tavant
Over the past year, Sandeep Shivam has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in guiding both his company and the mortgage industry toward digital transformation. As the product leader for Tavant’s Touchless Lending platform, he has united innovation, measurable impact, and thought leadership to set new benchmarks in lending. Even in a market defined by interest rate volatility and lender cost pressures, Sandeep delivered strong results. Under his leadership, Touchless Lending revenue grew by 68 percent year over year, proving that innovation can fuel growth even in challenging conditions. Beyond product results, he guided a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, and client partners through this turbulent year. By fostering a culture of agility and resilience, he kept teams focused on delivering value to lenders and borrowers despite external headwinds. His innovation has always been rooted in solving the most pressing pain points of mortgage lending including long cycle times, borrower confusion, and inconsistent communication. Over the past 12 months, he launched intelligent workflows that automatically create loan conditions with 98% accuracy, reducing underwriting times by nearly five days. At one major lender, these enhancements cut cycle times by five days across seventy thousand homebuyers, enabling families to close sooner and with greater confidence. He also introduced a 24×7 AI agent to respond instantly to borrower queries and launched the AI-powered Loan Officer Coach, helping loan officers deliver more accurate guidance with confidence.
Sandeep also addressed one of the industry’s biggest frustrations, which is fragmented borrower journeys. By building a unified digital platform and consolidated mobile app with both origination & servicing in one single application, he gave borrowers a seamless end-to-end experience while enabling lenders to transform transactional engagements into long-term relationships. He instilled a borrower-first culture across his teams, ensuring every feature was designed with the human impact in mind. In addition to delivering strong company results, Sandeep has established himself as a prominent thought leader within the industry. His insights have been featured in Forbes, the Mortgage Bankers Association, HousingWire, and many other reputed digital media platforms. His contributions were recognized with the Products That Count award for product innovation. Clients consistently regard him as their trusted partner for solving customer experience challenges, often seeking his guidance on balancing compliance, borrower satisfaction, and operational efficiency. The outcomes are clear. Digital adoption rose from 48 percent to 91 percent, borrower satisfaction reached 6.83 out of 7 and pull-through rates increased by 15 percent. Families gained faster access to homeownership, loan officers gained confidence, and lenders found resilience in a difficult market. Under Sandeep’s leadership, the mortgage journey is no longer a burden, it is becoming as fast, transparent, and empowering as any modern digital purchase.
Max Slyusarchuk
CEO
A&D Mortgage
Max Slyusarchuk has led A&D Mortgage in achieving significant milestones over the last year. Max not only guided A&D toward strong, sustainable performance, but he set new benchmarks in the industry, reshaping how lenders work with brokers, blending groundbreaking technology, strategic expansion, and award-winning partner support. In 2025, he executed one of the industry’s most significant acquisitions by integrating Mr. Cooper’s Wholesale and Non‑Delegated Correspondent business. This bold move transformed A&D into a true full-spectrum lender, expanding agency and government lending capabilities nationwide, resulting in 45% quarterly growth in funded loan volume and a 40% surge in active broker partners over the previous year. Max also pioneered two industry‑first technologies. The Non‑QM Automated Underwriting System (AUS) delivers instant loan decisions, automates underwriting conditions, and integrates directly into the AIM Partner Portal – setting a new standard in Non‑QM lending. The LEADer CRM is the first CRM built exclusively for mortgage professionals and is provided entirely free. This removes cost barriers and equips partners with advanced tools for lead management, marketing, and client retention.
He further streamlined operations with the Self‑Disclosure feature, enabling compliant disclosure packages in under a minute – now used in over 67% of loans. Equally transformative is his vision for broker engagement through the ADvantage Loyalty Program, winner of the Gold Globee® Award for Customer Loyalty Management Solution. Launched in July 2024, it has surpassed 4,000 members and over 3 million redeemed points, with 60% active participation – a level of adoption rare in the mortgage space. More than a rewards program, it’s a strategic driver of performance, which incentivizes faster closings, operational excellence, and adoption of new tools like Self‑Disclosure. This culture of innovation and service excellence is reflected in customer feedback. A&D maintains a 4.8‑star Google rating, with 96% of reviews at five stars and a 17% increase in review volume over the past year – earning the Gold Globee Award for Achievement in Customer Service Innovation. By uniting bold strategy, industry‑first technology, and a loyalty model that redefines broker partnerships, Max Slyusarchuk has elevated A&D Mortgage to a position of market leadership. His vision doesn’t just anticipate the future of lending – it shapes it.
Emmanuel St. Germain
CEO/Owner
Choice Mortgage Group
Over the past 12 months, Emmanuel has propelled Choice Mortgage Group to new heights through visionary leadership, decisive action, and a relentless focus on relationships. He has expanded the company’s footprint into new markets, strengthened its network of referral partners, and implemented innovative business development strategies that have driven measurable growth despite challenging market conditions. Under his guidance, the company launched new departments, broadened its lending portfolio to include more creative financing options, and enhanced operational efficiencies to deliver faster, smoother closings. Emmanuel has also prioritized culture—fostering a collaborative, high-energy environment where team members feel supported, empowered, and inspired to deliver exceptional service. Beyond Choice Mortgage Group, Emmanuel has served as a connector and thought leader in the mortgage and real estate industries—sharing best practices, building cross-industry partnerships, and championing education initiatives that help agents, builders, and borrowers succeed. His ability to combine strategic vision with genuine relationship-building has not only fueled the company’s success but has also contributed to raising the bar across the industry.
The company’s strategy to navigate the current changes in the mortgage industry is rooted in adaptability, innovation, and a people-first approach. Under Emmanuel’s leadership, the company is proactively embracing market shifts—whether it’s fluctuating interest rates, evolving regulatory guidelines, or changes in buyer behavior—by leveraging technology, expanding product offerings, and deepening industry relationships. The company is investing heavily in education and training, ensuring that the team is prepared to guide clients through any market cycle with clarity and confidence. The company is also expanding its range of lending solutions, including non-QM products, down payment assistance, and creative financing options, to meet the needs of a broader pool of borrowers. On an industry level, he is committed to collaboration—partnering with real estate agents, builders, and community leaders to educate consumers, promote responsible lending practices, and drive sustainable growth in the housing market. His focus is not just on weathering the changes, but on leading through them—setting an example of integrity, agility, and client advocacy for the mortgage industry as a whole.
Franco Terango
CEO
Certainty Home Lending
Franco has distinguished himself through his commitment to developing people rather than simply managing operations. During a period when many lenders focused on cost-cutting and survival tactics, Franco focused on building an organization on the foundational belief that good people, when well supported and empowered, can achieve great success. His approach centers on enabling loan officers and support staff to act with greater autonomy in their daily operations. Franco promotes distributed decision-making that reduces bottlenecks and improves customer experience during challenging market conditions. This philosophy extends to empowering processors and underwriters to resolve issues efficiently without excessive bureaucratic layers. Franco’s product strategy represents a shift away from promoting single loan products toward offering diverse mortgage solutions tailored to individual borrower circumstances.
Rather than encouraging sales teams to push specific products, he supports a consultative approach where loan officers act as financial advisors, helping borrowers understand various options including VA loans, renovation mortgages, and alternative documentation programs. His commitment to values-based leadership includes addressing performance issues directly while maintaining genuine care for individual development. Franco believes that authentic leadership requires having difficult conversations when necessary, balancing accountability with support to create a culture where continuous improvement can flourish. In growing Certainty Home Lending, Franco has proven to be a thought leader advocating for people-centered approaches that build competitive advantages through team development and client-focused service delivery.
Joe Welu
Founder & CEO
Total Expert
Joe Welu cut through the AI noise this year with a clear focus on delivering a solution that would help enterprise mortgage lenders give their originators superpowers and focus on high-quality customer interactions. As Founder and CEO of Total Expert, Joe’s goal was to make agentic AI usable and valuable right away—ensuring lenders have a practical and purpose-built solution that understands the housing industry’s nuances, challenges, and compliance requirements. He led the introduction of Total Expert’s AI Sales Assistant, a purpose-built, voice-powered agentic AI tool that helps loan officers scale outreach, qualify leads faster, and never miss a high-intent opportunity. Built exclusively for mortgage lending, it conducts human-like outreach, gathers borrower data, identifies opportunities, and connects leads directly to a loan officer to prioritize high-value customers and prospects. Plus, it’s deeply integrated and trained on brand standards and mortgage-specific regulations. Early beta testing with select Total Expert customers delivered positive results. Total Expert’s AI Sales Assistant is making more than 1.5 million voice calls per month, has increased contact rates on cold leads, and improved lead conversion—all while reducing the time loan officers spend on low-quality outreach. Under Joe’s leadership, Total Expert has become one of the mortgage industry’s most trusted technology solutions, powering more than 200 financial institutions, including 4 of the top 5 retail lenders and 7 of the top 10 originators.
Joe Welu continues to make meaningful contributions to the mortgage industry with his simple, yet effective approach: Mortgage lenders need purpose-built technology and intelligence to effectively support borrowers at the right time and earn lifetime loyalty. As market conditions fluctuate, Joe remains focused on equipping originators with tools to better understand consumer needs and act on those insights—helping them build meaningful relationships at scale. His vision for modern financial institutions has refined acquisition and retention strategies, using data and personalization to fundamentally change how enterprise organizations educate, engage, and advise borrowers throughout the customer journey. To navigate industry changes, Joe has implemented a comprehensive product strategy that addresses the evolving needs of mortgage professionals. In the last year alone, he has led Total Expert to roll out several major product launches and platform enhancements that center on partnering with customers to ensure their success. Improvements to Customer Intelligence, as well as the launch of AI Sales Assistant, Engage SMS, and Integrated Design Studio, have all centered on Joe’s leadership and commitment to addressing customer needs regardless of market conditions. The effectiveness of Joe’s approach is evident in the remarkable results that Total Expert customers have realized through his innovative tools: (Case Studies can be found at TotalExpert.com) NFM Lending: Within six months of using Total Expert, NFM Lending unlocked $37 million in loan volume. Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU): LMCU identified 9,000 equity-rich members in its database and drove $30M in funded loan volume within four months of implementing Customer Intelligence. FirstBank: By creating a “Borrower Re-Engagement Journey”, FirstBank connected with nearly 2,000 borrowers and drove an additional $9 million in loan volume. Castle & Cooke Mortgage: Within 90 days, Castle & Cooke uncovered 4,300 equity-rich customers in their database to engage. WinTrust Mortgage: The organization has seen remarkable improvements in adoption, efficiency, and customer engagement. In 2024, Wintrust directly tied $200 million of its overall loan volume to Total Expert.
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