DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1538353
MortgagePoint ยป Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 16 August 2025 M O V E R S & S H A K E R S Company, where he held various senior management positions in home lending, culminating in his role as EVP and Head of Home Lending. The appointment brings significant mortgage industry experience to NVR's board. The company operates in two business segments: homebuilding and mortgage banking. Its homebuilding divi- sion sells and constructs homes under the Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes brands across 36 metropolitan areas in 16 states and Washington, D.C. AI PLATFORM FRIDAY HARBOR ADDS TO ITS LEADERSHIP TEAM Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, has an- nounced that Chris Simms has joined the company as Head of Strategic Partnerships, and Gregory Buehler has joined as Founding Product Manager, bringing more than 35 years of combined experience in mortgage lending, product strategy, and technology innovation to the fold. Simms will oversee Friday Harbor's customer relationships, as well as its stra- tegic alliances with technology integra- tion partners and industry associations. His initial focus will be on customer engagement and success as he works to ensure lenders see lower costs, shorter cycle times and a better experience for borrowers on every loan. Buehler will define and execute product strategy in close partnership with the founding team, a role that Friday Harbor CEO Theo Ellis describes as "the glue between business and engineering." To that end, Buehler will collaborate with engineering, operations, and customer success to scale Friday Harbor's platform to serve a wider range of lenders, loan types and use cases while maintaining alignment with real-world origination pain points, workflows, and tech stacks. Simms joins Friday Harbor after a 20- year career leading mortgage sales, origina- tion, and capital markets teams at Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, First Integrity Mortgage Services, Pulaski Bank, and other institu- tions. During his time at these lenders, he partnered directly with mortgage technol- ogy firms to help align software solutions with real-world industry workflows. He cur- rently serves as President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of St. Louis. Buehler has more than 10 years of ex- perience leading product development at early-stage B2B startups including Pebble Health, learning management software provider Skilljar (acquired by Gainsight) and social analytics firm Simply Mea- sured (acquired by Sprout Social). KIAVI EXPANDS LEADERSHIP TEAM Kiavi, a tech-enabled lender to residential real estate investors, has announced the additions of Tom Hallock as Head of Construction Lending, and Robert Jayne as Head of Originations, Construction Lending. Hallock brings decades of expertise in construction financing and real estate invest- ment lending. Prior to joining Kiavi, he served in various construction financing leadership roles, including Chief Lending Officer for DPL Capital and Genesis Capital, as well as Head of Loan Products at PeerStreet. A seasoned leader and construction industry expert, Hallock will oversee all aspects of Kiavi's Construction Lending vertical, including product owner- ship, team oversight, and growth strategies. Jayne has 20 years of experience in construction finance, specializing in lead- ing business development initiatives that significantly drive growth. His most-re- cent roles were Head of National Business Development at Archwest Capital with a focus on establishing the company's construction lending platform and Chief Construction Officer for Genesis Capital, overseeing its Construction Lending vertical. Jayne is also a residential real estate developer himself, founding a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in unique and historical renovation projects. At Kiavi, he will oversee all growth initiatives related to the company's Construction Lending vertical. "We are delighted to welcome proven industry veterans Tom and Robert to the Kiavi team to take our ground-up construction product to the next level," said Arvind Mohan, CEO of Kiavi. "Both Tom and Robert have deep expertise in the construction financing space and are proven leaders, bringing the drive and strategic vision needed to fuel Kiavi's next chapter of growth. We look forward to putting Kiavi's technology platform, AI/ ML models, and data advantage to work in serving even more real estate investors and developers, helping them move fast- er, build smarter, and create much-need- ed new housing units to combat the housing shortage nationwide." Industry Groups NAR BOOSTS LEGAL AFFAIRS TEAM The National Associa- tion of Realtors (NAR) has named Leslie Nettleford-Freeman as Associate General Counsel, VP of Legal Affairs and Brand Protection, a new position on NAR's Legal Team. A nationally recognized trademark protection expert and seasoned legal executive, Nettleford-Freeman brings 20-plus years of experience in intellectual property, brand enforcement, and strategic legal leadership to her new role. Prior to joining NAR, Nettleford-Free- man served as Associate General Counsel at AARP, where she led major trademark enforcement campaigns protecting one of SIMMS HALLOCK JAYNE BUEHLER