FirstClose Announces Management Realignment

FirstClose Inc., a fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, said Thursday that it is making some changes in its executive suite.

Tim Smith, a co-founder and chief revenue officer, has been appointed chief strategy officer, while Craig Austin, executive vice president of sales and business development, has been promoted to chief revenue officer, the company said.

Both Smith and Austin will report to Tedd Smith, FirstClose's co-founder and CEO.

In the newly created chief strategy officer role, Tim Smith will be responsible for guiding FirstClose as it leverages emerging disruptive technologies, the company said. He will work closely with regulators, industry, and academia to identify and develop promising partnerships with vendors, credit union leagues, state banking associations, CUSOs, and other strategic partnerships to help realize the company's strategic goals and to anticipate future customer needs, FirstClose said.

In succeeding Smith as chief revenue officer, Austin will be responsible for further accelerating revenue growth, increasing sales efficiency, and building an organization to deliver results for FirstClose clients and partners, the company said.

He will lead FirstClose's go-to-market activity, business development, sales, account management, and the continued evolution of the FirstClose partner ecosystem, it said. 

Austin joined FirstClose in 2022 with an extensive background in software-as-a-service (SaaS) and enterprise technology sales.

"Over the past two years, FirstClose has experienced record growth and broad industry acceptance under Tim's sales leadership, and this momentum accelerated even faster since Craig has come on board," said CEO Tedd Smith. "The new roles and responsibilities recognize their individual strengths and position FirstClose to achieve its next levels of growth and product leadership."

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose Inc. provides fintech solutions to HELOC and mortgage lenders nationwide.