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Which companies are merging, and what professionals are moving? See some highlights in this update of the housing and mortgage industries.

 

Wells Fargo announced Wednesday that they would be taking various Board refreshment actions, including naming Elizabeth Duke as Independent Chair, a decision that was decided upon unanimously. Duke succeeds Stephen W. Sanger on January 1, 2018 after his retirement. Wells Fargo said Sanger will assist in the transition until his retirement. "This company is going to end up being a better bank than it would have been without this incredible wakeup call," Duke said. "It had been so successful for so long it was difficult to recognize the need for change.”

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Black Knight Financial Services [1] announced the launch of its Black Knight Index Suite, a series of indices expanding on its existing Home Price Index (HPI). The series was created to provide insights into the housing and mortgage markets with comprehensive depth, coverage, and currency. The improved series now includes support for three-digit ZIP codes for easier matching with Credit Risk Transfer data, as well as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae single-family mortgage performance data. It also provides historical monthly home price movements; HPI forecast scenarios, and time coverage extending back to 1975. The forthcoming HLI will provide previously unavailable insights into the supply side of the housing market.

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LenderLive Network LLC, a unit of LenderLive Holdings, Inc., announced Tuesday that Sherry Valladares has joined their team as Correspondent Lending Regional Account Manager. Valladares will cover the northeast area and work with both new and existing clients, including mortgage banks, community banks, and credit unions that are currently participating or are prospective participants in their LenderLive correspondent program. Valladares will report directly to SVP and National Sales Manager Bob Kallio. Valladares spots more than 15 years of experience in the mortgage industry including background in secondary, operations, origination, and underwriting.

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Formerly Hope LoanPort, HLP recently announced Mark Cole as their new President and CEO as well as member of the HLP board of directors. Cole is an industry veteran who has devoted his career to the nonprofit sector. Prior to his being named as President and CEO, Cole served as HLP’s EVP and Chief Strategy Officer since 2014. Before his roles at HLP, Cole served as a senior-level executive for more than 25 years in the nonprofit financial counseling sector, most recently as CEO for the nation’s second largest nonprofit credit counseling agency. He succeeds Cam Malchiorre, an HLP co-founder who left after six years as CEO to become the president of IndiSoft, HLP’s technology partner.

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Equifax Inc. [2]recently announced an almost 20-year company veteran is now leading its marketing team. Laura Wilbanks was appointed as Equifax’s new Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding Trey Loughran, who recently assumed the role of President of United States Information Solutions (USIS). Wilbanks first joined the company in 1998 as a business development lead for the telecommunications vertical. Just two years later, she was named VP of Equifax. In 2013, Wilbanks was named SVP and Senior Marketing Officer of USIS, where she, most notably, transformed the general marketing approach by creating tailored industry vertical marketing teams to drive targeted go-to market approaches, which helped drive innovation to its highest level in USIS and resulted in one of the strongest USIS Vitality Indexes since its beginning.