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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 87 continue to do so. We're a much larger brand than when we started. Chronos Solutions is a much better representation of our national reach and comprehensive offerings, and will position us to extend our client base across the board." Chronos Solutions is a technology-enabled real estate finance services provider offering comprehensive solutions for mortgage lenders, federal agencies, GSEs, mortgage servicers, real estate portfolio investors, and more. e company offers a comprehensive array of services and solutions, including advisory and consulting, title and settlement services, valu- ation, acquisitions, Home Owners Association solutions, REO management and disposition, auction services, and accelerated marketing and field services. Headquartered in Frisco, Texas, the company has a national geographic footprint, and has an established client base which includes federal agencies, top national lenders and banks, leading mortgage servicing companies, and more. "Our clients tell us that we offer the same breadth and depth of services that any of the other national service providers do," said Jo Ann Kruse, COO for Chronos Solutions. "However, they marvel at our ability to man- age high volume projects with the same service levels offered by the best boutique firms. As Chronos Solutions, we want the mortgage and real estate industry to know us for our capacity, our capabilities, our creativity and our flexibility." VRM University Unveils Diversity & Inclusion Self- Assessment Tool VRM University (VRMU), the training division of Carrollton, Texas-based VRM Mortgage Services that provides nationwide training, certification, and continuing educa- tion for the mortgage and real estate industries, recently announced the launch of their new Di- versity & Inclusion Self-Assessment Tool Kit. e tool kit provides a free alternative for financial service businesses to benchmark, document, and report their compliance with the proposed standards mandated by section 342 of the Dodd Frank Act. e Act calls for self-assessment and public disclosure of diver- sity and inclusion policies. e self-assessment is part of a larger diver- sity & inclusion initiative that will include train- ing and process improvement courses in 2016 to help companies improve their assessed score. "Increased diversity brings increased perspec- tive and additional ability to recognize business opportunities," says Cheryl Travis-Johnson, founder and EVP of VRM University. "We're excited to launch this important tool and appreci- ate the support and input from the Mortgage Bankers Association on an issue that is not just of regulatory importance, but strategic importance to our industry. America is becoming increas- ingly diverse and our industry needs to reflect the public we service to remain relevant." e Diversity & Inclusion Self-Assessment helps financial service organizations establish a benchmark for four key measurement areas that will enable them to prioritize actions and drive change, where necessary, within their or- ganizations. e tool produces a score between one and five for each category, with companies performing at levels considered to be industry best practices reflecting an overall category score of four or five. ese category scores include: » Organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion score » Workforce profile and employment practices score » Procurement and business practices – sup- plier diversity score » Transparency and communication score A fifth, "overall diversity and inclusion self- assessment score" is also generated to provide an overarching organizational assessment. e Five Star Institute, a leading trade as- sociation and education provider in the mort- gage industry, has also reviewed and provided their support of the tool. "Being in a position to draw a self-assess- ment of one's understanding of diversity is a critical first step in increasing awareness and action," said Ed Delgado, Five Star President and CEO. "e VRM tool provides such a mechanism that is essential to promoting this dialog of diversity." e VRMU tool kit provides companies with the ability to: » Employ a standardized method for assess- ment of compliance with Dodd-Frank 342's OMWI requirements » Reduce time researching and interpreting OMWI standards » Promote diversity policies and practices to partner agencies » Provide a benchmark to help foster a culture that promotes the fair inclusion and utiliza- tion of minorities and women » Benchmark against diversity standards and requirements to qualify and compete for agency proposals and contracts » Diversify their workforce to further drive economic growth Stewart Unveils Refined Brand to Support Strategic Growth Initiatives Stewart Information Services Corp. re- cently announced the launch of a refined brand to support the company's strategic growth plans and efforts to communicate its focus on operating in the true spirit of partnership. "At Stewart, we believe lasting relation- ships drive long-term success. And to that end, we never stop working to build relation- ships with our customers," said Matt Morris, CEO, Stewart. "Our refined brand focuses on simplifying the way we communicate about Stewart and the way we do business, and sets the stage to support us through our next phase of growth." According to the company, the refresh aligns its services under two key brands, Stew- art and Stewart Title. All core title business lines will now be branded under Stewart Title. Services aligned under the Stewart Title brand include residen- tial, commercial, and international through Stewart Title direct-issuing offices, as well as Stewart Title Agency Services supporting the organization's network of Stewart Trusted Providers. "Our refreshed, new look mirrors where we are taking our company and the services we provide to customers by aligning our core service offerings under the same brand umbrellas," said John Arcidiacono, chief marketing officer, Stewart. "Our new brand is clean and concise, so our customers can easily understand who we are and how we can help them through the partnerships we build. is is reflected in our new tagline Real partners. Real possibilities. and is our brand promise – central to how Stewart approaches business." As Stewart continues to diversify its offer- ings in the financial services space, the Stewart brand will be able to support this growth. Business units aligned under Stewart include Stewart Lender Services, Stewart Insurance and Risk Management (previously known as Stewart Specialty Insurance Services), and corporate headquarters. Texas had the highest percentage among states of mortgaged residential properties in positive equity at the end of Q2 2015 with 97.9 percent, according to CoreLogic. KNOW THIS

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