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Planet Financial Group, LLC, a privately held mortgage lender and servicer headquartered in Meriden, Connecticut, has announced that Michael J. Kula has joined the company as COO.
Kula’s experience includes three decades of extraordinary leadership and management positions in mortgage businesses globally, growth strategy, sales, operations, and executive management. Kula will be responsible for coordinating execution of the Planet strategy plans and initiatives across its diverse business lines.
“The company is extraordinarily lucky to have someone with Kula’s wide-ranging experience across all facets of our business,” said Planet Home Lending CEO and President Michael Dubeck. “Kula’s diverse experience at the highest levels gives us an advantage few of our competitors can match.”
Most recently, Kula was a division president at ServiceLink, a Black Knight Company, where he led the company’s title and origination businesses. His focus included optimizing the integration of acquisitions, enhancing business margins, improving customer service, and increasing operational productivity.
Before ServiceLink, Kula was Global Managing Director of Mortgage Business Development at IBM. While there, he improved IBM's global mortgage strategy by analyzing key market and client opportunities, further leveraging assets and analytics, providing consultative services, and expanding key industry relationships.
During his three decades in the industry, he has worked with some of the industry leading firms in the business, including Bank of America, Wachovia (Wells Fargo), Washington Mutual, Mellon Mortgage (now JPMorgan Chase), and Lloyds Banking Group.
Founded in 2007, Planet Home Lending is a privately held, national residential mortgage lender with multiple business channels uniquely positioned to provide competitive products and services. The company is an approved originator and servicer for FHA, VA, and USDA as well as a Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Seller/Servicer, and a full Ginnie Mae Issuer and approved sub-servicer.
