Chandra Srivastava
37
Chief Marketing Officer
Calque
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
I benefit from talking to our expert advisors, receiving newsletters, listening to podcasts, and consuming other industry updates. This exposure helps me stay in step with current trends and market needs.
As an economist by training, I’m always reading and thinking about news more generally, such as the Fed’s latest decisions, job reports, price of goods, etc., and considering how these may impact the housing market.
I am a professor of marketing, and in this role, I have to update my curriculum every semester. Because much of my coursework is experiential, my students and I experience the changing marketing landscape in real time. Staying up-to-date with marketing isn’t a luxury; it’s a requirement of my job. With that said, no one can stay abreast of everything and I remain humbly aware of that!
In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the future of your industry or field?
In the field of marketing, I hope I can continue to be a ‘pracademic’ who spans both theory and practice. This allows me to bring theory, frameworks, and the latest research to marketing implementation in the “real world.”
In the real estate and mortgage industry, I hope to make ‘buy before you sell’ commonplace and the de facto method for homeowners who want to move. This would be a huge shift for the industry, but it would make consumers’ lives so much easier (and I am committed to supporting an option that is affordable).
Brandon Stein
33
President
The Loan Store
What motivates you to excel in your field, and how do you stay inspired and driven?
I’m motivated by the dynamic landscape of our industry. Lenders are constantly developing new products, proprietary technology, and working to streamline a notoriously antiquated loan process with modern enhancements. Competition, particularly in the wholesale space, is a powerful driver that encourages me and other industry leaders to constantly seek improvement so that the needle continues to move.
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
With rates eclipsing 20+ year highs, being ahead of the curve can dramatically amplify short-term success. Remaining proactive in approach, anticipating future problems due to the constantly changing landscape and market challenges, then finding a niche to fill those needs can make all the difference whether it is product, price, or service-related. When working to address an issue, I’ve often tried drawing parallels to other industries, in search of an effective common-sense approach that can lead to a resolution.
In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the future of your industry or field?
Having spent most of my career in wholesale, it has been awesome to experience the migration of market share from retail to TPO. Healthy competition amongst lenders is what drives this benefit to the borrower. It forces all companies, large or small, to raise the bar, innovate, and progress their business and the channel forward.
Michael Sullivan
36
Director of Procurement and Supplier Diversity
Rocket Central / Rocket Companies
What motivates you to excel in your field, and how do you stay inspired and driven?
I am a naturally curious person and enjoy problem-solving, which aligns well with working in a procurement role. Procurement works with product owners to define their third-party support needs and assist with market research to find the right supplier. It’s exciting to play a part in bringing the best solution to the table that helps create a great client journey.
How do you prioritize innovation and creativity in your work, and what role do these factors play in your success?
I am obsessed with finding a better way. No matter how perfect something might appear, I think there is always an opportunity for some level of improvement. I keep my finger on the pulse of new innovative products in the market to ensure we are working with the right suppliers to assist with delivering the best possible service for our clients.
In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the future of your industry or field?
I believe an inclusive supply chain that is inclusive of diverse suppliers in bid opportunities is the right thing and also good business. Diversity in the supply chain is proven to increase innovation. In the future, I would like to continue assisting with building out a solid network of diverse suppliers that other mortgage or financial service companies can leverage.
Anna Tommasello
30
Marketing Director
Direct Mortgage Loans
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
Change is inevitable, especially in the mortgage industry. If you can’t embrace that, you’ll go crazy. For me, it’s one of the things I love about my job. There are many ways to stay informed about mortgage updates and new marketing initiatives: podcasts, publications like NMP and STRATMOR Group, the Chrisman blog, forums, etc. Find the media you enjoy consuming the most and spend at least 2-3 hours per week educating yourself about the industry. We are the professionals that clients and partners turn to for advice. If we’re not educating ourselves first, how can we best serve their needs?
How do you prioritize innovation and creativity in your work, and what role do these factors play in your success?
Marketing mortgages is not always the most glamorous job, but it is essential. Consumers can find the mortgage world confusing, so it is important for us as marketers to explain mortgage jargon in a simple way. We are always brainstorming new ideas and discussing how to improve Direct Mortgage Loans’ market share. Our leadership team gives us creative freedom, which enables us to focus on creative solutions rather than simply solutions. When I first started working at Direct Mortgage Loans, my eagerness to try new things led to opportunities that I never imagined would be available at the time. My success is due to my hunger to learn and create better solutions.
Nate Trunfio
36
Chief Revenue Officer
Lima One Capital
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
Staying in proactive and frequent communication with my diverse network allows me to keep a pulse on the industry and market. One of my roles in our executive team is to be the eyes and ears of our sales team and borrowers. I spend time throughout the week checking in with our top producers, competitors, service providers, and borrowers. Additionally, I attend and speak at industry conferences, participate in masterminds and trade associations, and host our company podcast, which focuses on interviewing real estate investors, our core client. All these platforms allow me to have in-depth conversations with top operators around the country. These regular interactions allow me to understand the pulse of Lima One’s real estate investor clients and understand what is happening and what will likely happen in our industry.
In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the future of your industry or field?
I’m passionate about the private lending industry, and it’s important to me that our industry continues to grow, thrive, and succeed. It is only a small piece of the greater mortgage pie, and hasn’t been institutionally backed for as long as the conventional mortgage industries. This is one of the main reasons that I’ve become an active Best Practices Committee member of the National Private Lending Association, a trade organization created to represent and protect the interests of private lenders as it pertains to legislation and public policy.
Matthew VanFossen
38
CEO
Absolute Home Mortgage
What motivates you to excel in your field, and how do you stay inspired and driven?
The mortgage industry offers the opportunity to maximize your creative output. There’s no shortage of solutions needed to innovate, streamline, and address the challenges our companies face daily. The complexities of regulation, technology, and operational procedures have always driven me to push both myself and my companies forward.
How do you prioritize innovation and creativity in your work, and what role do these factors play in your success?
All too often, we let our daily workload overshadow our innovation and roadmap goals. It’s vital to maintain a robust support team around you. Ensure that you have time blocked out to strategize and plan your roadmap objectives. Stagnation is not an option; you must propel both yourself and your company forward. The only way to achieve this is with a clear plan and the time management skills necessary to push that plan forward.
In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the future of your industry or field?
Regulatory advocacy through trade groups, combined with system innovation from the tech sector, is the best way for me to make a significant impact. Continuously studying and mastering the regulatory climate and recommending defining policy changes on Capitol Hill will keep our regulators informed about how their policies affect consumers.
Edwin Vela
39
Senior Mortgage Banker
Lakeview Mortgage Bankers Corp.
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
Staying informed and adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of the mortgage and real estate industry is crucial for success. I invest in industry courses, workshops, and seminars. These events often provide insights into the latest trends, regulations, and technologies, as well as industry magazines and blogs. I also attend construction and technology-focused conferences and expos to explore the latest tools and solutions in the construction and mortgage industry.
Can you share some of your long-term career goals and what you hope to achieve in the next five to 10 years?
I currently manage a small mortgage team and I own a real estate brokerage and my long-term goal is to become an equity partner with the mortgage bank I currently work with and expand both my real estate company and mortgage company in all 50 states. I will develop a mentorship program to help both loan officers and agents grow in their careers.
How do you prioritize innovation and creativity in your work, and what role do these factors play in your success?
I have failed many times, and I view setbacks as opportunities for growth. Mistakes can cost a lot of money if we don’t use them to help us align ourselves and keep on moving forward. I also encourage collaboration between my real estate agents, mortgage professionals, and any other team members. Cross-functional brainstorming sessions are very effective.
David Wieczorek
39
Director of Product
MeridianLink
How do you stay informed and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape in your industry or field?
With the complexity of the mortgage and technology industries, it’s not always easy! I do a lot of reading about both mortgage and technology. I tend to start my days reading new articles and blogs about the economy and the mortgage industry. At night, I like to read about some of the latest technology trends and applications.
However, I gain the most valuable insights about changes to our field’s landscape through interactions with colleagues, customers, and vendor partners. This helps alert me to the key changes I need to focus my attention on and gets me thinking about the ways in which my company’s technology can be of service.
How do you prioritize innovation and creativity in your work, and what role do these factors play in your success?
This is perhaps a contrarian answer, but I don’t prioritize innovation and creativity in my work; I prioritize solutions that balance fixed constraints to produce the best risk-adjusted outcomes. History is full of innovative ideas that failed due to a lack of feasibility for their time and place. For one’s ideas to truly succeed and make a difference in the world, they must be feasible, and that’s why it’s most important to have real-world constraints of time, cost, and scope at top of mind when developing solutions.
However, I don’t discount innovation and creativity entirely. Finding the best solutions often requires creativity, and the most profitable solutions are often innovative.