In our Hot Topic today we're talking about the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designation as the mortgage industry symbol of respect, credibility, ethics and achievement.
Our guests in the Hot Topic include:
1. Robert (Bob) Broeksmit, CMB, President and CEO, Mortgage Bankers Association
2. Madeline Johnson, an Executive Financial Consultant with the Milwaukee office of Milliman, and she is the current chair-woman of the CMB Society.
3. Amber Lawrence, the Associate Director of Career Development Programs for the Mortgage Bankers Association. She manages and oversees the MBA’s certification and training programs!
Topics Covered in this Podcast
- What is the Certified Mortgage Banker designation?
- Why would you want to become a CMB?
- What impact did the CMB designation have on your career?
- What is the process of becoming a CMB?
- How are concerns of CMB candidates overcome?
Want to know more about our guests?
Robert (Bob) Broeksmit is President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Bob is a senior finance executive and corporate officer with a 33-year career in the mortgage sector. He has directed all aspects of lending activities, including marketing, sales, operations, secondary marketing, loan servicing, and default management. He has also served as a mortgage underwriting expert testifying on many large, high-profile cases.
Prior to joining MBA in 2018, Bob served as President and Chief Operating Officer with Treliant, heading the firm’s mortgage litigation support practice and serving diverse financial services clientele including large banks, independent mortgage lenders, community banks, credit unions, and service providers to the mortgage industry. As a Washington-based financial services consultancy, Treliant’s mortgage practice included strategic advisory for executive management and corporate boards; litigation defense, including file reviews, litigation strategy, expert reports, and expert testimony; CFPB examination preparation and implementation of mortgage regulations promulgated by the CFPB and other regulators; and operational aspects of mortgage banking, ranging from origination to servicing and loss mitigation.
Before Treliant, Bob held senior leadership positions in the mortgage business, including fourteen years with Chevy Chase Bank (including after its purchase by Capital One), where he was Executive Vice President and President of its B.F. Saul Mortgage Company subsidiary. Bob also was a Vice President at Prudential Home Mortgage for seven years. He has overseen annual originations of $9 billion, a balance sheet of $10 billion in residential mortgages, and a servicing portfolio of $20 billion. He also held positions at Great Western Mortgage, Krupp Residential Mortgage, and The Money Store.
Bob has served as the Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Residential Board of Governors and as a member of its Board of Directors. Firms under his leadership have garnered multiple awards for servicing operations excellence, including Freddie Mac’s Tier One and Hall of Fame designations. He is a Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) and a graduate of Yale University.
Madeline Johnson
Madeline is an Executive Financial Consultant with the Milwaukee office of Milliman. She is dedicated to analyzing the financial risks associated with originating, issuing, and servicing mortgages, mortgage guaranty insurance, and credit risk transfer structures.
She specializes in risk management, secondary and capital markets, strategic planning, and business development in the mortgage finance industry. Her extensive experience includes executive consultant and senior management positions at Newbold Advisors, United Guaranty, Triad Guaranty, Mortgage Dynamics, Inc. and First Advantage Mortgage Corporation.
Madeline holds both an MBA in International Finance and a BBA in Business from The George Washington University.
She received the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB®) designation in 1998 and is currently the Chairwoman of the CMB Society. Madeline also received the MBA CMB Fellow Award in 2003.
She is active in the MBA Metro DC, serving as board member, President and Chairwoman. She received Associate Member of the Year award in 2016. She continues to mentor new CMB Candidates and volunteers for Women in Housing and Finance, and Habitat for Humanity.
Amber Lawrence
Amber Lawrence has over 15 years experience as a real estate/mortgage finance professional. Amber is currently the Associate Director of Career Development Programs for the Mortgage Bankers Association, managing certification and training programs.
She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of MBA's marquee designation program, the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB®) including candidate matriculation, curriculum development and the examination process. In addition, she is responsible for the management of the Certified Residential & Commercial Certified Mortgage Servicer (CMS) & (CCMS) designations; Certified Residential Underwriter (CRU) designation; and the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation. She also provides oversight on the facilitation of several MBA Education courses, including MBA’s premier classroom program, School of Mortgage Banking (SOMB).
Amber participates as a mentor in the MBA@Work program and serves on the external committee for MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts. She is a graduate of Howard University with a B.A. in Legal Communication.
Excerpts from this Episode:
Listen: The career benefits of the CMB distinction within the mortgage industry...
Listen: There is instant credibility that comes with being a Certified Mortgage Banker...
Listen: What is the process for obtaining your CMB designation...
Listen: One of the benefits of being a CMB is being a part of the community of other CMBs at the CMB Society...
Listen: The mortgage industry is a relationship-based business...
Listen: A look at the enrollment process for becoming a CMB...
Listen: The fear of failure when attempting to become a Certified Mortgage Banker is a shared experience by many people...
Listen: There are tools available to help candidates prepare for the CMB designation... from prep courses to study groups...
Listen: The diversity of members and the supportive community is there for anyone interested in becoming a Certified Mortgage Banker...