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12 | M R EP O RT MCROWD "We're very proud to have Laura choose to join our team," said Michael Solberg, Bell's President and CEO. "Her experience and insights, as well as her ability to collaborate with divisional and regional leaders, will help us continue to offer not only the personal service we're known for, but also the tools and experiences our customers need to manage the finan- cial services they use." Orcutt served in product manage- ment and treasury management with Wells Fargo for more than 30 years, with positions in treasury manage- ment operations, service and imple- mentations, and technology. Most recently, she served as Wells Fargo's EVP/Head of Treasury Management Product Services, leading a team that provided strategy, development, and technical consulting. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Orcutt is an accredited ACH professional, achieving perma- nent accreditation in 1998. She and her husband reside in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and have two daughters. ANDREW SPICER Andrew (Andy) Spicer has joined non-agen- cy lender Deephaven as VP of Client Development, Correspondent. He brings more than 30 years of correspondent and wholesale mortgage sales leadership experience to his role. Most recently, he directed Midwest Sales with Caliber Home Loans/Correspondent Lending, and he has held similar positions with MetLife, Bank of America, and Washington Mutual Savings Bank. "No one has stronger correspon- dent relationships, or a deeper un- derstanding of our partners' business needs, than Andy Spicer," said John Keratsis, CEO and President. "His insights will be critical as we redefine non-agency lending in our quest to transform the mortgage industry." Deephaven offers progressive prod- ucts with highly favorable LTV (loan- to-value ratio) and FICO ® combinations to give correspondents a distinct advantage in their geographies. "This is a terrific opportunity for me to work with some of the best and brightest people in this space," said Spicer, who is based in Chicago. "I look forward to leveraging Deephaven's innovative programs into greater cor- respondent lending success stories in this competitive purchase market. We've got the products, service, and flexibility to help qualify a larger share of borrowers whose dreams of home- ownership go unmet by the traditional mortgage lenders." SERVICE PROVIDERS KENNETH D. DEGIORGIO First American Financial Corporation, a provider of title insurance, settlement services, and risk solutions for real estate transactions, announced that Kenneth D. DeGiorgio has been named President. In his new position, DeGiorgio will have oversight responsibility for the corporation's operating groups, including its title insurance, specialty insurance, and data and analytics businesses. "Ken's well-deserved appointment follows more than two decades of ac- complished service to First American," said Dennis J. Gilmore, CEO at First American Financial Corporation. "His proven leadership, in-depth under- standing of our business, and commit- ment to First American's leadership of the digital transformation of the title and settlement industry make him well suited for this role." DeGiorgio joined the company in 1999. With the separation of First American from its former parent in 2010, he was named to his most recent position as EVP. In that role, he has taken on oversight responsibility for several corporate functions, includ- ing mergers and acquisitions, legal, compliance, information security, enterprise risk management, and marketing and communications. He also took on responsibility for the company's banking operations and its international division. MICHAEL KIRK Equity Solutions USA, a nationwide, independent provider of residential real estate valuation services, announced the appointment of Michael Kirk as their new CEO. He will assume responsibilities immediately and succeed Hugo Garofalo, who was promoted to the Chairman of the Board. Kirk has been part of the valuation industry for over 24 years, beginning his career as a state-licensed field ap- praiser. He most recently held the role of SVP, Strategic Valuation Initiatives for the Accurate Group, where he worked on modernization of the appraisal process. Kirk has also held key valuation roles for three lenders, including Chief Residential Appraiser for Huntington National Bank. "Equity Solutions is growing exponentially, and with Michael's experience, vision, and perspective on the state of the market, we'll be able to scale our company to meet the demands of a post-pandemic housing market" Chairman of the Board Hugo Garofalo said. "Michael is the perfect fit to help Equity Solutions get to the next level, and I look forward to work- ing with him to make that happen." "Equity Solutions has a strong reputation for understanding its clients' specific goals and can personalize the appraisal experience for everyone involved," Kirk said. "It is one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to be a part of the national growth of Equity Solutions. I look forward to working with our experienced team of apprais- ers to ensure our client's objectives are met." Equity Solutions has a network of licensed and certified appraisers in all 50 states, standing with a full array of products to save time and money in the home buying or refinance process. YANCY RIGGS Covius Holdings, Inc., a provider of technolo- gy-enabled solutions to the financial services industry, announced that Yancy Riggs has joined the company's RealtyBid ® unit as VP of Business Development, Asset Management, Auction, and REO. In this role, Riggs will be responsible for growing RealtyBid's relationships with leading servicers and helping them develop efficient strategies for managing and liquidating REO inven- tory. Riggs joins Covius from CoreLogic where he was Principal, Business Development, responsible for leading the go-to-market strategy for Retail, Restoration, and Franchise solutions. Previously, he was a Senior Account Manager within Black Knight Financial Services' Data & Analytics Division. "Covius has dramatically grown its client base and solutions over the last two years with a commitment to tech- nology and data intelligence. It's great to be on a team that's as laser-focused on client needs as I am," Riggs said. "RealtyBid's compelling innovation in data and analytics is reflected in increased investor site traffic. Similarly, these differentiators driving investor activity are being noticed by servicers as they prepare for an increase in in- ventory post-forbearance," said Chris Link, SVP, RealtyBid. "Yancy's proven consultative sales skills and experi- ence working with large servicers will expand RealtyBid's presence in the auction space." KEVIN WATTERS FormFree ® welcomed Kevin Watters to its board of directors. Watters is a pay- ments, mortgage lending, and business banking leader known for his ability to successfully and rapidly scale financial services businesses through operational and technology transformation. Watters was a pioneer in the branchless banking space, serv- ing as Chief Marketing Officer of Wingspan (a Bank One subsidiary) and President of Bank One's corporate internet group until its acquisition by JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM). Watters served in multiple senior executive positions during his 18-year tenure at JPMorgan Chase, including five years as President of its corpo- rate internet group and five years as CEO of its business banking division. Subsequently, he served as CEO of Mortgage Banking, where he played a critical role in restoring profitabil- ity to the division after the financial crisis. In his final year at the company, Watters was named CEO of Chase card services, which encompasses Chase's consumer, small business, and commercial lines of business. Since retiring from JPMorgan Chase, Watters has taken on roles as an advi- sor and educator. In 2019, Watters began teaching finance as an adjunct professor at Tulane University. In 2020, Watters joined Lightyear Capital, a New York-based private equity firm focused on financial services, as senior advisor to Fund V, which focuses on digitalization in the financial sector and payments technologies. In March 2021, Watters was tapped by Boston Consulting Group as a senior advisor. Know someone moving up in the industry? Email us at Editor@theMReport.com.