SINGLE-FAMILY TRACK: CFO Perspectives

Vice President, Financial Management, Tax and Accounting Policy, Mortgage Bankers Association

Fran Mordi joined the Mortgage Bankers Association in May of 2017 after 20 years of post-Law school experience in the areas of tax and accounting. Prior to joining MBA, Fran worked at the American Bankers Association and Deloitte Tax, LLP on domestic and international tax issues impacting the financial services industry. Fran has specific expertise in putting together training sessions and presenting at bank tax conferences and panels. Fran has extensive experience working with the banking regulators, FASB, the Treasury and Congress as an advocate of the financial services industry. Fran holds a J.D. from New England Law School, Boston, MA, and an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School, Washington, DC.

CFO, SWBC Mortgage

Efe has more than 20 years of experience in the accounting and mortgage field. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of SWBC Mortgage Corporation, Efe oversees the day-to-day financial operations that drive the financial vision of the mortgage company. Efe utilizes his expertise in accounting, mergers and acquisitions, and the mortgage industry to contribute to a successful mortgage operation. Before joining SWBC, Efe was Vice President of Accounting and Controller at Stonegate Mortgage Corporation. Efe also worked for more than 10 years at Deloitte in numerous roles. Efe received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is a CPA and holds the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Certified Mortgage Bankers (CMB) and American Mortgage Professional (AMP) accreditations. Efe serves on the MBA Affordable Housing Committee and Finance and Accounting Steering Committee. Lastly, Efe is a board member at HomeFreeUSA, a not-for-profit organization committed to assisting underserved individuals attain homeownership and reducing the wealth gap among minority communities.

EVP, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer, Freedom Mortgage Corporation

David L. Firestone is the current CFO/Treasurer, of Freedom Mortgage Corporation, serving the business in dual capacities over his career. David was previously a Partner at Friedman LLP since 1988, were he provided clients in many industries with tax planning/strategy, internal accounting, forensic services, valuations and special projects. As the lead partner from 2003 until he joined Freedom in 2014, he played an integral role guiding executive management in the ever-changing mortgage industry. After joining Freedom Mortgage in 2014, David oversees the daily financial operations of the organization, including Corporate Treasury, Warehouse facilities, MSR facilities, Financial Reporting ,Financial Oversight, Pooling and Custodian within Capital Markets, Accounts Payable , Accounting and Corporate/Individual Taxation. His past experiences make him an asset to the company providing vast knowledge on topics relating to bank financing, financial review, valuation, and acquisition strategy. David is a CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner(CFE), Certified Forensic Accountant(CFA) and Certified in Financial Forensics(CFF). He is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA).

Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Plaza Home Mortgage, Inc.

Michelle Richardson is the SVP and Chief Financial Officer at Plaza Home Mortgage, Inc., a privately owned, full-service national correspondent and wholesale lender. An industry veteran with more than 20 years of financial and operational experience, Ms. Richardson joined Plaza in 2019. Prior to Plaza, she was Vice President of Treasury at loanDepot and earlier held finance positions with Icon Residential, T-Force, and IMPAC Mortgage. In her current role, she oversees Accounting, Financial Analysis, Treasury, Payroll, Facilities and Administration and has extensive experience in strategic planning, revenue maximization, cost efficiency, timely and accurate financial reporting and the development of effective systems and controls. Ms. Richardson has her Masters in Accounting and is a Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) as well as a Certified Treasury Professional CTP).

Chief Financial Officer, Stockton Mortgage Corporation

Robert Truitt joined Stockton Mortgage as Chief Financial Officer in March of 2023. In this role he oversees Accounting, Finance, Capital markets and Human Resources. As CFO, he helps shape the company’s direction and strategy by providing critical assessments of its financial strengths, potential risks, and opportunities, and works with the executive team to realize strategic objectives and maximize market execution. Additionally, Rob is the incoming chair of the Accounting & Financial Management subcommittee of the MBA and serves on the Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG) Advisory Committee. Rob brings more than a decade of industry experience to his role, having served in senior leadership roles at IMB’s and several Fortune 500 companies. He most recently served as CFO of Amerifirst where he oversaw the accounting, finance, capital markets and loan servicing functions. Prior to Amerifirst, Robert was the CFO of Flagstar Bank’s Mortgage Division. There, he directed financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic business intelligence for a network of 88 retail locations and a wholesale network of approximately 2,000 third-party mortgage originators. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank and held senior roles at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley. He holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in finance from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Ramapo College of New Jersey.