TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
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Know someone moving up in the industry? email us at Editor@TheMReport.com. Mary L. Schapiro. After serving as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for nearly four years, Mary L. Schapiro officially stepped down on December 14. Schapiro, who was the first woman to serve as the SEC's permanent chairman, was appointed by President Obama in January 2009. "It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to work with so many dedicated SEC staff who strive every day to protect investors and ensure our markets operate with integrity," Schapiro noted of her departure. Jason Schmidt. In California, WFG Lender Services is welcoming a new senior leader, recently hiring Jason Schmidt as SVP of closing operations. Schmidt, who has 11 years of industry experience, served as the operations manager for Equifax prior to joining WFGLS. He has also previously worked for Phoenix Equity Management and Lenders First Choice. In his new role for WFGLS, Schmidt will be responsible for overseeing the company's national closing and settlement operations. James "Jamie" Vinci. Gaining an additional title, Equator's chief technology officer, James "Jamie" Vinci, was recently named SVP of technology for the company. According to an official statement from Equator, Vinci has already played a key role in growing the company's technology initiatives; Vinci's newly acquired title was announced in conjunction with the promotion of Shana Lakso, who will transition from VP to SVP of relations for Equator. Elisse Walter. Formerly the commissioner for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Elisse Walter has been appointed as the organization's new chairman. Taking over the leadership role from Mary L. Schapiro, whose retirement became effective in December, Walter is well prepared for the role, having previously served as the SEC's active chair in 2009. Commenting on the administration's decision to name Walter as chairman, President Obama noted, "I'm confident that Elisse's years of experience will serve her well in her new position, and I'm grateful she has agreed to help lead the agency." New Year, New Leadership for Chase One of the nation's largest financial institutions opted to initiate a significant executive shakeup to start 2013. JPMorgan Chase's leadership team is undergoing a few changes: The bank announced that effective early this year, Marianne Lake will be stepping into the role of CFO. Meanwhile, current CFO Doug Braunstein will become vice chairman of the company. Lake is currently CFO of JPMorgan Chase's Consumer & Community Banking unit, one of the largest financial services businesses in the country. Prior to taking that role, she served as global controller of the investment bank from 2007 to 2009. Before that, she was in the corporate finance group managing global finance infrastructure and controls functions. Lake started her career as a chartered accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in its London and Sydney offices. "Marianne Lake is an outstanding choice for this critically important role," said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO, noting Lake's "impressive breadth of knowledge and experience in finance" in the bank's wholesale and consumer businesses. "Marianne will be an excellent successor to Doug Braunstein, an outstanding colleague who I want to thank for his hard work and dedication in the CFO role," Dimon added. While Lake takes over the CFO position, Braunstein will focus on serving the firm's top clients, drawing on years of expertise and experience in key client coverage roles in JPMorgan Chase's investment bank. The M Report | 21