Title, settlement, and risk solutions for real estate transactions provider, First American Financial Corporation, today announced major changes in its leadership. Current CFO Mark E. Seaton has been appointed CEO, replacing departing CEO Kenneth DeGiorgio, and Treasurer Matt F. Wajner has been promoted to CFO.
In addition, First American’s Chairman of the Board Dennis J. Gilmore will now become executive chairman. The changes come after DeGiorgio was arrested on federal charges over the alleged assault of a fellow passenger aboard a cruise ship at the end of March.
On that note, in the company’s release today, Gilmore thanked DeGiorgio “for his many years of service to First American.”
Even so, the release has a sense of moving on to it. “We are looking forward to our next chapter under the strong leadership of Mark Seaton,” Gilmore stated in the release. “No one is more ready to be our CEO than Mark, who has played a leading role in our most critical strategic initiatives which are driving the digital transformation of our business.”
Seaton has served as First American’s CFO for a dozen years. First American noted that besides managing all its financial-related activities, Seaton oversees First American Trust, the company’s federally charted bank, as well as First American’s technology group. Seaton first joined the company nearly two decades ago back in 2006.
“I’ve been a part of the First American family for nearly 20 years, and it’s an honor to serve the company as its CEO,” stated Seaton. While noting the company’s “proud accomplishments” over its 136-year history, he said he believes its best days “are yet to come,” pointing to First American’s “extraordinary people and unique competitive advantages.”
Wajner, who’s now promoted to CFO and joined First American in 2009, has served as treasurer of the company for the last five years and previously held the positions of chief accounting officer and controller. Prior to First American, Wajner held roles with New York City-headquartered financial services firm JPMorgan Chase & Co and London-based professional services network PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
