Nations Lending, a national full-service mortgage lender, has added to its executive team by bringing in Cindy Baird as executive vice president of national operations. The move comes as the company continues to make strategic investments in both retail branch expansion and internal operations, namely in the underwriting, processing and post-closing departments.
In addition to ensuring streamlined and efficient operations, Baird will also work to develop and implement processes that have a direct impact on the borrower experience. Prior to joining Nations, she served as executive vice president of national operations for Homeowners Financial Group USA.
“She’s a fantastic addition to a company that first and foremost prides itself on making the home loan process feel intuitive and more human,” says Eric Roman, executive vice president of Nations Lending. “Operations play a key role in that, from how a borrower moves through the application process to the speed at which they can get their file underwritten and processed and over to the closing table.”
Baird will take ownership of the fulfillment team at Nations, not only working to deliver service to borrowers but also to Nations Lending’s 120-plus branches and hundreds of channel partners.
“It’s an opportune time to join the team,” Baird mentions. “Over the last few years, the industry has seen eye-popping growth thanks largely to a refi boom and record-low interest rates. But Nations has positioned itself to thrive over the long term, not just during the boom. By growing steadily but strategically and maintaining nearly all of its MSRs, I see the company as being in a very advantageous position over the next five to seven years.”
