Twyla Hankins

EVP of Operations

AMERICAN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. Brea, Calif.

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

Women can bring a refreshing dynamic and unique perspective to the leadership team. Any leadership body is arguably stronger and more effective when it benefits from varied experiences and perspectives. Being recognized and treated as an equal, and being respected as a leader, women can bring a lot of value to a leadership team.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

Invest time in learning the business, ask questions and find a mentor that you respect. But incorporating work/life balance into your routine may be my most important advice. Yes, dedicate yourself to your career and your company, but know that you can only dedicate 100% of your best self to your work if you are reserving time each day for yourself.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry? How I view work/life balance. This business can demand very long hours and claim the majority of your waking hours indefinitely if you let it. It is important to make time for yourself to enjoy life outside of work.

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

To continue down the path of the high-tech mortgage. The homebuyer experience can be greatly enhanced if everyone embraces the technology. Take the drudgery and long wait times out of the process.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

Joining the executive leadership team. I am not referring to earning a title, I mean becoming an executive leader and all that it entails. One of the most treasured benefits is the ability to introduce the industry and its opportunities to others.

Jennifer Henry Managing Director, Government Credit, Housing Strategy & Capital Markets EQUIFAX Wayne, Pa.

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

One of the biggest issues that women face is the lack of female role models. This can make it difficult to advance their careers and achieve their goals. Women naturally possess qualities that make successful leaders, such as empathy. Women are inherently relationship builders, both with colleagues and customers.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

Women need to embrace their strengths such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, and a stronger ability to multitask. Young women should know that our industry is dynamic and ripe with opportunity. Nothing is impossible and every opportunity should be seized.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry?

One of the biggest changes is technology’s role in driving operational efficiencies and access to data. Automation is helping decisions be delivered more quickly, better assessing risk as well as supporting the customer experience.

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

The social climate in the country has put more focus on providing greater access to homeownership to minority and underserved borrowers and building up underserved communities. I would like to see continued advancements in technology that further unlock insights that can help underserved borrowers.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

One thing I am most proud of is my role in enhancing Equifax’s ability to help provide access to customer insights that fuel the mortgage process. I helped in developing solutions that empower lenders with the data and analytics they need to combat issues ranging from mitigating delinquency risk and identifying portfolio retention strategies to increasing operational efficiencies with non-performing loans.

Tracy Huber Director, Product Management, Mortgage

EQUIFAX WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS Saint Louis, Missouri

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

Confidence and sponsorship work hand-in-hand to impact a woman’s ability to lead and advance into leadership positions.You need to have the confidence to step out of your comfort zone because that’s where growth happens. Stepping out of my comfort zone to learn software development was a major career shift, but it opened many opportunities in the mortgage industry.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

Join a business networking group. Networking will force you to be more disciplined about your business. Networking builds confidence, helps you find mentors and sponsors, and most importantly, helps you find your voice and grow as a professional.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry?

My knowledge level has changed the most. I have been able to implement good financial practices in my own life using personal financial discipline and wealth-building strategies that I learned on the job.

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

We have been inundated with investors who are competing with individuals looking to purchase homes for their primary residence. This has been a contributing factor to the current housing inventory crisis.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

To date, winning the hackathon at Equifax.I had never convinced a group of senior developers to take on a new mortgage product idea, let alone compete and present the concept across the company globally and endure a question-and-answer session with senior leadership. Taking on the hackathon as a stretch goal enabled me to find my voice and speak as a mortgage professional to a big company.

Jessica Lampman Wholesale Account Executive

First National Bank Of America

Portland, Mich.

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

Confidence is a key factor. Having confidence in your abilities and your knowledge of the industry plays a big role. We all have times when our confidence may waver. Keeping faith in yourself will push you along to continue to grow and influence growth in others. Staying persistent through difficult times is important.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

Ask questions. FNBA was my first mortgage industry position. Asking questions and connecting with people who are willing to mentor you will help you succeed.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry? My outlook has changed. When first starting in this industry, I was not sure how long I would stay in it. It was just a job for me. However, the longer I stayed, the more I found that I really enjoyed it and wanted to make it into a career. The opportunity to help people navigate the mortgage process has been awesome to be a part of.

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

I would like to see the industry attract younger people. The average age of a loan officer is growing older, and we need to attract younger professionals to help serve the growing population of homeowners.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

A big accomplishment has been continuously meeting the production goals set by the company and meeting the personal production goals I set for myself. Beyond the production goals, my biggest accomplishment is gaining the trust and respect of my partners, which is something I work hard at each day.

Pamela Marsh

Senior Managing Director and Treasurer

PENNYMAC

Westlake Village, Calif.

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

No matter the gender, an exceptional leader possesses qualities that set an example. Great leaders demonstrate respect for their company, position, peers, subordinates, and customers. Being transparent and setting expectations on an individual basis with the people you work with extracts the best performance out of others and earns their confidence.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

It can provide an incredible career for those that are interested in digging in and learning the details, as it is a fast-paced, competitive business. Find a mentor that you respect, ask questions, and do the work required, and it will be rewarding.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry?

It has transitioned from a business within the banking industry to a business dominated by independent, entrepreneurial participants. The industry has undergone significant technological advancements that have improved scalability and operational performance

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

It is important that the industry continues to diversify the mortgage space with more women and equal opportunities for all. Providing an environment that encourages, supports, develops, and empowers women and minorities to reach their full potential on a daily basis is an important commitment.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be treasurer of Pennymac in its early stages. It has been extremely rewarding to look back and see how we worked together as a leadership team to build the company into the strong industry leader we are today, with a rock-solid foundation to support future growth for many years to come.

Stacy Mestayer Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel

VOXTUR ANALYTICS

Southlake, Texas

What factors impact a woman’s ability to lead others?

Women often (unjustifiably) have more to prove than their male counterparts. I’ve found power in patience. I try to listen more than I talk, which helps me to better understand others so that I can more effectively collaborate and manage.

What advice would you give to those just getting started in the mortgage industry?

Listen, learn, and provide value wherever you can. You can learn most of what you need to know in any setting by listening more than you talk.

What’s changed for you the most since you joined the mortgage industry?

I’ve found the most interesting opportunities to be at the intersection of traditionally manual business processes and technology. I started by building a court data-driven decisioning engine for mortgage servicers and traders, which remains the only solution of its kind on the market. I can contribute to the strategic direction of the company, which has opened my eyes to the opportunities for better technology in mortgage to impact the lives of consumers.

What significant changes would you like to see from the mortgage industry in 2023?

Incorporating more targeted data analytics to drive automation and digitization creates efficiencies that directly reduce costs. As an industry, we have to commit to passing those savings on to the consumer. This is the first step to creating truly transformative change.

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a mortgage professional?

In early 2020, I began spearheading an initiative to build an alternative to title insurance. In April 2022, Fannie Mae released updates to their selling guide approving use of this alternative product. Anyone in the mortgage industry can attest to the Herculean feat that is changing a Fannie Mae guideline.