Open Mortgage, a multi-channel mortgage lender, has named industry veteran Joe Stephenson its new president. In the newly created position, Stephenson will oversee day-to-day mortgage lending operations for the company, with a strong focus on growth.
The hiring will allow Open Mortgage Founder & CEO Scott Gordon to continue to focus on the company’s long-term strategic expansion, innovation, and corporate culture.
Stephenson will officially join Open Mortgage on Dec. 6, 2021.
“After much long-term planning and an extensive national search, we found a perfect fit in Joe,” Gordon said. “Not only will his nearly three decades of experience in independent mortgage banking and depository institutions serve Open Mortgage well, his strong leadership skills and warm demeanor will complement our family-like culture.”
Stephenson previously served as senior vice president of operations for American Advisors Group (AAG), where he led more than 550 employees supporting multiple sales channels, including wholesale; a centralized call center, and a national distributed retail channel. In his three years with AAG, he was led the 85% growth in its operating platform and implemented a national remote support strategy.
“I’m extremely excited to lead Open Mortgage and grateful to the executive team who has afforded me this opportunity,” Stephenson said. “The strong family culture of balancing personal and professional aspirations is in line with my core values.”
He added that the company is “well-positioned for future growth, as it has built a strong foundation with an established national footprint over multiple distribution channels and products. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and joining the team as we make the turn into 2022.”
During his 28-year career in financial services, Stephenson has held executive-level positions across multiple originations, operations, and process design platforms for financial industry leaders including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Salisbury University Perdue School of Business. He resides near Phoenix, Ariz., with his significant other Summer and their five children.
Founded in 2003, Open Mortgage is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has retail locations nationwide.
