TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/125049
Mcrowd Meet the Industry's MCrowd Who's Moving On and Who's Moving Up In the Industry Firms make some additional hires to augment their growth strategies as they expand into new markets. John Snow Former Treasury Secretary John Snow joined the board of directors at Lender Processing Services (LPS). Snow served at Treasury under President George W. Bush from February 2003 to June 2006 and has worked as president of JWS Associates, LLC, since then. Throughout his career, he has also served in several senior roles at the U.S. Department of Transportation and has chaired the Business Roundtable, a group of CEOs of major corporations formed to promote pro-business public policy. Michael O'Connell Nationwide Title Clearing (NTC), based in Palm Harbor, Florida, announced the promotion of longtime employee Michael O'Connell to COO. O'Connell has been with NTC for eight years, formerly leading the sales and client relations team as VP of client relations. Commenting on his promotion, O'Connell said, "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. Working at NTC has taught me both over the years, and I plan to be a competent leader in my new position." Karen Crawford Stearns Lending, Inc., a leading nationwide mortgage lending institution encompassing retail, wholesale, and correspondent business channels, announced the appointment of Karen Crawford as chief legal officer. Crawford comes to Stearns from MetLife, where she worked as chief risk officer and was responsible for monitoring and mitigation of credit, operational, legal, and regulatory risks. Ivan Choi Ivan Choi is WCS Lending's new head of affinity relations—a position created with him in mind. In his new role, Choi is responsible for cultivating mutually beneficial business relationships and building out the company's affinity partnerships with Realtors and other organizations. He is an industry veteran of 15 years, having spent 13 of them with Countrywide/Bank of America and most recently serving as VP. Robert Reilly PNC Financial Services Group has found a successor to step up after CFO Richard Johnson retires this year. Robert Q. Reilly will take over the position, moving up from his current role as head of PNC's asset management group. Chairman and CEO James Rohr cited Reilly's stellar work overseeing the asset management group and said the CFO-to-be is "the right person to advance the work of Rick Johnson." Michael Thaman The Policy Advisory Board of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies recently convened its first meeting of 2013 under the leadership of newly appointed chairman Michael Thaman. Thaman is CEO and chairman of Owens Corning, where he has worked for more than two decades. His career there has seen him serving in many leadership roles, including CFO, president of the exterior systems business, and president of the engineered pipe systems business. Kelly Booth In Los Angeles, Leads360 announced the addition of industry vet Kelly Booth as director of the company's mortgage unit. Booth puts her 25 years' mortgage industry experience to use at Leads360 by helping professionals improve their selling and lead management strategies while advancing the company's position as the leading sales automation provider. She also works to strengthen Lead360's ties with complementary mortgage providers. Zackry Cooper Commerce Mortgage, a leading provider of mortgage services in the Western United States, announced the arrival of senior loan officer Zackry Cooper to its branch in Danville, California. Cooper, a prior civil engineer, brings 13 years' lending experience and a solid industry reputation. He credits his expertise in mortgage lending to his problem-solving skills, a trait he developed from his previous career. 20 | The M Report