Jay Farner, vice chairman and CEO of Rocket Companies and previous CEO of Rocket Mortgage, will assume the title of CEO for Rocket Central (previously Rock Central) – the centralized hub for the Rocket Companies fintech platform. Farner will retain his role at Rocket Companies to continue driving the growth of the entire ecosystem from mortgage and real estate to car sales and personal finance. Angelo Vitale, general counsel and secretary of Rocket Companies, who previously held the role of CEO of Rock Central, will now solely focus on his roles as general counsel and secretary for Rocket Companies.
As a platform business, Rocket Companies provides services from each of its brands to clients who want help with getting a home loan, purchasing a car, or working on their budgeting, and personal finances. The company says it can now offer more streamlined help with the recent acquisition of Truebill.
In his new role at Rocket Central, Farner will drive the vision for the technology, data, product design, marketing, communications, and other services the company provides.
With Farner's move to Rocket Central, Bob Walters – a 25-year veteran of Rocket Mortgage – has been promoted to CEO of Rocket Mortgage. He previously served as the president and chief operating officer of both Rocket Companies and Rocket Mortgage and will retain his position at Rocket Companies. In his time as president and chief operating officer for Rocket Mortgage, Walters oversaw the mortgage servicing, client experience operations, capital markets, and technology Teams. As CEO, Walters will be responsible for the vision, strategy, and day-to-day operation of Rocket Mortgage.
Rocket Mortgage also announced Tim Birkmeier, the company's chief revenue officer, is broadening his responsibilities by also assuming the role of president. Birkmeier joined the company in 1996 and is responsible for all teams and initiatives that create top-line revenue for the company – including mortgage banking and the company's partnership channel.
“We have worked side-by-side for decades and will continue to do so,” said Farner. “Bob has a very inquisitive nature, digging deep in every process to make sure the company leverages every small advantage. Tim has worked closely with the mortgage banking team to hone our expertise in providing an exceptional experience for everyone.”
Under the leadership of Walters and Birkmeier, Rocket Mortgage has seen impressive growth, including becoming the nation's largest mortgage lender, the introduction of proprietary technology including Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Logic, and maintaining a client retention rate exceeding 90%.
In addition to these changes, Rocket Companies also announced Nicole Beattie as CEO of Amrock, following the retirement of Amrock's prior chief executive. Before joining Amrock, Beattie was an 18-year veteran of Rocket Mortgage.
