Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
April 2025 saw a wave of significant leadership appointments and promotions across the mortgage industry, reflecting an evolving landscape as companies adapt to shifting economic conditions, regulatory priorities, and demographic demands.
Fannie Mae announced the appointment of Omeed Malik to its board of directors. Malik is the founder and CEO of Farvahar Partners and president of 1789 Capital. He brings a strong background in finance, having previously served as managing director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, with expertise in investment banking and hedge fund advisory.
Ginnie Mae named Joseph M. Gormley as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer. In this role, Gormley will oversee strategic planning, operational execution, and risk management. His resume includes senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a tenure as deputy assistant secretary for single-family housing at the Federal Housing Administration.
UWM Holdings Corp. promoted Rami Hasani to chief financial officer. Hasani joined UWM in late 2020 as vice president of financial reporting and compliance. He now assumes responsibility for the company’s overall financial strategy. Andrew Hubacker, who previously served as CFO, will transition into a senior adviser role.
At the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Brendan Kelleher was promoted to associate vice president of government housing finance. Since joining MBA in 2022, Kelleher has played a key role in shaping the association’s government housing policy initiatives. Additionally, John Lammle joined MBA as associate vice president of commercial real estate finance, bringing experience from the FDIC and Amazon.
MBA also honored Rebecca “Becky” Sandiland with its annual Burton C. Wood Legislative Service Award. Sandiland, a senior loan adviser at Belay Bank Mortgage, is a U.S. Army veteran with more than two decades of mortgage experience. She currently serves as vice chair of the MBA’s Mortgage Action Alliance for 2025–26.
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors appointed David Bleicken as senior vice president of product and business strategy. Bleicken will help guide the development of regulatory technology systems such as the State Examination System. Previously, he served as operations chief in the supervision division at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The National Housing Conference (NHC) added four new members to its Board of Governors: Keith Bickel of Bank of America, Amy Hovey of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Noerena Limón of the Casita Coalition, and Gisele Roget of Overbrook Square Group. The NHC also reappointed Duane Duncan, Bryan Greene, David Dworkin, and George Wright to new terms.
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals named Dionne Cuello as chair of its Corporate Board of Governors. Cuello, a senior vice president at Citibank, leads national diverse market segments and brings deep experience in multicultural marketing and strategic housing partnerships.
Empower Mortgage appointed Rogelio Goertzen as chief growth officer. Goertzen, who founded the Hispanic Organization of Mortgage Experts, will focus on expanding the company’s reach in underserved communities and enhancing its impact on financial inclusion.
Rate made several key hires across the country, including Ted Edginton as producing branch manager in Birmingham, Michigan; Torrey Jacoby as vice president of mortgage in Houston; Brett Snortland as senior vice president of market growth and development; and Adrian Hall as manager of its Knoxville, Tennessee branch. Citywide Home Mortgage, a Rate company, also named Ed Vaccaro as executive vice president of sales.
Action Title Research appointed Christopher Leonard as chief executive officer. Leonard previously served as CEO of Velocity Solutions and practiced real estate and title law. His appointment signals the company’s focus on expanding its digital title search and abstracting capabilities.
Panorama Mortgage Group named Juan Cepeda as its new chief operating officer. With 26 years of mortgage industry experience, Cepeda will oversee day-to-day operations and drive process improvements to increase efficiency and scalability.
CrossCountry Mortgage expanded in the Cincinnati market by adding top-producing originators Mario Rauch and Logan Stacey, alongside seasoned industry professionals Drew Stacey, Corey Grace, Geoff Bostick, Roland Weissman, and Joe Koester, further strengthening its regional presence.
Prudent AI promoted Paul Gigliotti to chief growth officer. Gigliotti will be responsible for revenue strategy, sales, and marketing initiatives to accelerate adoption of AI-driven mortgage automation technologies across the industry.
Class Valuation brought on Jim Bannister and Scott Shaw as senior sales executives. Bannister brings experience from CoreLogic and First American, while Shaw has held sales leadership roles at Black Knight Financial and Intel, enhancing the company’s efforts to modernize the appraisal process.
Usherpa, a provider of CRM and customer engagement platforms, hired Laila Stout as senior marketing manager. Stout brings over 13 years of experience in real estate and mortgage marketing strategy and will lead key branding and communications efforts for the company.
As the mortgage industry continues to evolve, these personnel moves highlight a strategic shift toward innovation, inclusion, and operational excellence. The companies making these investments are positioning themselves to lead amid a market that demands agility, technology integration, and a more inclusive approach to housing finance.
