Starmark Financial, a national debt buyer and first- and third-party servicer of accounts receivable for national and regional lenders, recently hired Daniel Venditti as executive vice president of operations.
Venditti brings more than 24 years of financial services industry experience to Starmark, having previously served in a wide variety of roles with both with first- and third-party agencies, debt buyers as well as lending institutions. He managed projects for several subprime auto finance companies, including compliance, collections, debt purchasing, customer service, outsourcing and both preforming and non-preforming receivable sale management.
“I am very excited to join the Starmark family,” Venditti said in a news release. “They have made significant investment in not only top tier technology, but also recruiting experienced and talented staff.
“Starmark isn’t just a financial services company, it’s a people company,” he continued. “Through our staff and partners, we will be able to offer a wide variety of compliant and customer focused services to lenders from debt purchase to first- and third-party collection solutions.
“And with our strategic international partnership, we’ll be able to offer offshore solutions at a lower cost with superior English-speaking representatives,” Venditti went on to say.
For more information about Starmark, send a message to [email protected].
Santander Consumer USA is set to become a private company. And the provider will do so with a new head of operations.
According to a news release distributed on Wednesday, Santander named Marc Womack as head of operations in a move that will become effective on Oct. 18.
The company said Womack will report to Santander Consumer president and chief executive officer Mahesh Aditya and will be based out of Dallas.
Womack succeeds Sandra Broderick, who will retire in early 2022.
Santander said Womack will lead all operations functions, including loan operations, lease end and auctions accounts, customer experience, operations employee experience, operations business intelligence and reporting, quality management, collections, and operations business controls and risk management.
SCUSA highlighted Womack has more than 30 years of consumer and commercial banking expertise, with experience across multiple product/service segments including auto, credit card, personal loan, commercial lending and insurance.
Most recently, Womack was head of TD Auto Finance, U.S., responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of TD’s indirect retail and commercial auto finance businesses. Womack also served TD as chief operating officer where he led the commercial lending, retail operations and field distribution for TD’s U.S. auto organization.
Additionally, Womack was head of U.S. product for TD Auto Finance and chief of staff to TD Bank.
Prior to joining TD, Womack held several senior executive roles at GE Capital, JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Hyundai Capital America and HSBC.
“I am excited to welcome Marc to Santander Consumer,” Aditya said in the news release. “His extensive experience coupled with his industry leadership and advocacy will serve us well as SC continues to strive for next-level service for our consumer and dealer customers, as well as building greater financial inclusion and empowerment in the communities we serve.”
Broderick was among the 2019 Women in Auto Finance honorees and in March was as the 2021 Vehicle Finance Division chair for the American Financial Services Association
“I also want to thank Sandra Broderick for her years of service to Santander Consumer,” Aditya said. “Among her many accomplishments during her tenure with SC, she led key transformative projections in our operations areas, and modernized and matured the operations organization. We wish her the very best in her next chapter.”
This week, APCO Holdings named a new vice president of post-purchase sales.
Taking on this role for the provider and administrator of F&I products and home to the EasyCare, GWC Warranty and MemberCare brands is Kylie Price, who will be responsible for the evolution of APCO’s post-purchase channel to continue to drive growth and advance digital outreach efforts.
Prior to joining APCO, Price spent five years at Affinitiv where most recently she was executive vice president of OEM accounts.
Through a news release, APCO highlighted that Price has more than a dozen years of experience in sales, marketing and digital advertising in the automotive industry.
“For F&I products, managing the post-purchase relationship with the consumer is just as important as the initial sale. We’re thrilled to have Kylie spearhead this critical retention and growth channel for our dealership customers,” APCO Holdings chief executive officer Scot Eisenfelder said in the news release.
The ACA International board of directors selected an interim director during its meeting last week.
The organization that brings together third-party collection agencies, law firms, asset buying companies, creditors and vendor affiliates welcomed Tim Haag to serve on its board.
ACA said in a news release that the board was tasked with selecting an interim director after a board member who had been seeking reelection withdrew as a director candidate on July 28.
This year’s Member of the Year Award at ACA’s 2021 Convention & Expo was given to Haag, president of State Collection Service in Madison, Wisc., in recognition of his dedication, commitment and tireless work related to the association’s success. He currently serves as chair of the ACPAC Committee.
ACPAC is the voluntary, bipartisan political action committee for ACA. Under Haag’s leadership, the ACPAC Committee has helped raised more in the first half of 2021 than it had since 2014, with a goal of continuing to raise much more.
Haag is a longtime member of ACA and has participated in several association committees over the years. He is a member of Group50 and served on ACA’s Council of Delegates. He is active in the Great Lakes Unit, including serving a term as president.
Haag has earned ACA’s Fellow and Scholar designations as well as the credit and collection compliance officer designation. He was awarded the Kurt Swersky Award in 2013 and the Warren Siem Award in 2015.
Haag joins new board members Jacob Corlyon, Ronna Denny and Jennifer Whipple, who are all serving three-year terms, according to ACA.
“The ACA board of directors plays a critical role in helping members succeed by driving the association forward to ensure that it retains its position as the leading voice of the accounts receivable management industry,” ACA chief executive officer Mark Neeb said in a news release. “I truly appreciate the new members stepping into these valuable volunteer leadership roles and helping lead us into the future after a tough year for businesses and consumers.
“Furthermore, I look forward to working with the returning members and new officers as we continue the great work we’ve started in the last year,” Neeb went on to say.
ACA said its council of delegates, elected by the units and divisions, represents constituencies, and has the primary responsibilities of electing the ACA board of directors and approving amendments to the association’s bylaws.
Meanwhile, ACA added that its board of directors governs the affairs, activities and concerns of the association. The board consists of up to 15 voting members with staggered terms, plus the CEO and past president as nonvoting members.
This week, Hudson Cook reinforced its stable of legal experts with the hiring of new partner Megan Nicholls along with new associates Laura Bacon and Robert Tilley.
“We are thrilled to welcome Meg, Laura and Rob to the Hudson Cook team, supplementing our core consumer financial services compliance, privacy and litigation practice areas,” Hudson Cook managing partner Lisa DeLessio said in a news release.
“As we prepare to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, Meg, Laura and Rob’s diverse experiences will help us to continue to provide our clients with practical, efficient and innovative solutions to their regulatory compliance and litigation needs,” DeLessio added.
The announcement indicated Nicholls will manage the firm’s Fort Worth, Texas, office. She joins the credit reporting, privacy and data security practice group, advising businesses on compliance with consumer financial services and consumer protection laws.
Nicholls most recently served as the head of compliance and privacy for GIACT Systems, an identity verification and fraud prevention company.
Rebecca Kuehn, who is chair of Hudson Cook’s credit reporting group, praised Nicholls’ diverse experience in the consumer financial services and privacy fields.
“Meg is able to view complex compliance and privacy issues from the in-house compliance perspective,” Kuehn said in the news release. “Understanding the day-to-day concerns of the client, having been in their shoes, makes Meg an invaluable addition to our team.”
Hudson Cook said Bacon joins the firm’s automotive and personal property finance and leasing practice group and is based in the Hanover, Md., office. Bacon will be working with partner Nikki Munro — who is the current secretary of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section — advising clients on the development and maintenance of nationwide consumer automobile finance programs and online motor vehicle sales assistance programs.
Bacon previously worked as a law clerk in the government relations practice of a Maryland law firm, as a legislative assistant to the chair of the Baltimore County Council and as a chief of staff to a Maryland state delegate.
The firm highlighted Tilley is based in Hudson Cook’s Washington, DC office. He joins the firm’s government investigations, examinations and enforcement practice group, led by practice chair Lucy Morris, in representing financial institutions, lenders and credit reporting agencies in litigation, government investigations and enforcement actions, as well as advising clients on complying with federal and state regulations prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or abusive trade practices.
Prior to joining Hudson Cook, Tilley represented clients in litigation and white-collar investigations at two national law firms.
Servicing Solutions recently bolstered its team with the addition of Jeremy Hettman as vice president of sales, bringing nearly 20 years of consultative sales experience to the company.
In this key role, Servicing Solutions said that Hettman will lead business development efforts in the Northeast region, with a focus on developing long-term relationships with clients who are seeking a flexible, transparent and agile contact center partner.
Hettman joins Servicing Solutions from Noble Systems, a global leader in the customer communications and contact center industry. He served as national account manager for more than seven years and developed a strong reputation in the industry for his ability to consult with clients to find the solutions that work best for their particular circumstances.
“I have known and admired Jeremy for years, and I am thrilled to welcome him to our growing team,” said Andrew Yudin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Servicing Solutions. “His deep industry experience, along with his unique ability to serve as a true strategic advisor to his clients, will be a benefit to each business he works with.”
Prior to joining Servicing Solutions, Hettman held similar roles for Human Circuit, Four Rivers Software Systems and Freedom Disc Corp.
“I’ve admired Servicing Solutions’ growth and success over the past few years, so I couldn’t be more excited to join this talented team,” Hettman said. “The company’s commitment to innovation, diversity, agility, and transparency is clear. I look forward to many years of continued growth and success.”
National Auto Care (NAC) made four agency acquisitions last year, and the F&I provider wants to be in a position to finalize even more this year.
With M&A growth in mind, NAC on Monday announced the addition of Walter Hoffman, who joins the company as director of corporate development.
In this role, the company said Hoffman will report to NAC senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions Courtney Hoffman, who is not related, according to a news release.
Walter Hoffman is being tasked with focusing on strategic acquisitions, assisting with and leading M&A functions such as sourcing deals, legal negotiation, financial modeling, M&A strategy and reporting.
Hoffman comes to NAC with extensive M&A experience after more than a decade in various roles with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, beginning his career in global equities and most recently serving as a vice president within the mergers and acquisitions team in New York.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to partner with Lovell Minnick Partners and to work alongside Tony Wanderon and Courtney Hoffman to continue to enhance our market presence through strategic acquisitions,” Walter Hoffman said in the news release. “The addition of this role will help to increase our capacity to execute on our strong pipeline.”
Courtney Hoffman pointed out that the Director of Corporate Development is a new role for NAC, which announced four agency acquisitions in 2020 with more slated for 2021.
“Our company is committed to growing through our indirect agency channel as well as M&A,” Courtney Hoffman said. “We are grateful for the relationships we have built with both our acquired agencies and indirect agency channel thus far and look forward to welcoming more businesses into the NAC family.
“Walter is an integral part of our strategic plan, and I’m thrilled to have him on board,” Courtney Hoffman went on to say.
For more information on NAC’s M&A activity, visit nationalautocare.com/mergers-and-acquisitions.
American Recovery Service (ARS) recently expanded its executive team by promoting Cortney Osborne to be chief services officer.
With nearly 20 years of industry experience and moderator of the Women in Auto Finance honoree panels during Used Car Week, ARS highlighted that Osborne has been instrumental in the company’s substantive growth.
Throughout her career, the company said Osborne has overseen ARS’ client relations, operations and branding and has developed a strong ability to manage relationships and prioritize business needs.
Now as chief services officer, Osborne is charged with the full responsibility of engaging the organization in managing client relationships through strategic business and corporate enhancements. Her responsibilities include the development and oversight of marketing initiatives that emphasize building organizational and industry value while delivering optimal customer service.
Chief executive officer Peter Willingham explained in a news release that this new role for Osborne is integral in continuing to drive American Recovery Service into the future.
“These coming years will be critical in the auto finance industry,” Willingham said. “Cortney’s extensive experience with nearly every aspect of the business made her the distinct choice for this position.
“I have full confidence that she will continue to foster and grow the strong partnerships we have with all clients and will drive the organization in exceeding their goals,” he went on to say.
And Osborne added, “I am very thankful to continue to grow with a company that represents unmatched experience, integrity and values. The opportunity to enhance our relationships and provide a better service and partnership experience for our clients is very exciting.”
Nortridge Software wants to grow so the company created a new position for an executive who has been with the company for 18 years.
This week, Nortridge announced that Bret Davis will fill the newly created role of chief product officer, giving him the reigns to make daily product decisions for the Nortridge Loan System.
The company explained in a news release that this move will allow chief executive officer Greg Hindson to focus on growing the company and creating deeper relationships with current and prospective customers.
“I wrote the original Nortridge Loan System program, and for more than 30 years, I’ve stayed involved in the day-to-day product development,” Hindson said. “I’ve worked with Bret here at Nortridge for more than 18 years, and I trust him to take charge of the product details so I can pivot my attention to other areas of the business to support our ongoing growth.
“Now there are two of us who know the product inside and out. Bret and I are both committed to making it the best product on the market,” Hindson continued.
The company highlighted Davis, who has been with Nortridge since 2003, will bring together the various perspectives of internal departments, including IT, development, sales, support and training, as well as the voice of the customer to strategically guide the future of the Nortridge Loan System (NLS).
Davis also will continue to oversee the Nortridge Consulting team.
“I’ve spent nearly two decades working directly with customers on their implementations of NLS,” Davis said. “The knowledge I’ve gained puts me in the perfect position to take Nortridge to the next level. I’m excited for this new opportunity to work side-by-side with Greg and the rest of the team to help Nortridge grow and better serve our customers’ changing needs.”
Since 2003, Davis has been mainly focused on coordinating all project tasks for implementation of the infrastructure, system configuration, data conversion, custom development, testing, training and rollout of NLS implementations.
In 2012, Nortridge Consulting Services, a Nortridge subsidiary, was formed to address the growing need for consulting services. Davis served as managing partner.
Prior to Nortridge, Davis was a software engineer and engineering product manager at iMetrickus and a consultant for the eBusiness Group at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
The high-level executive changes at Credit Acceptance continued this week.
About three months after chief executive officer Brett Roberts announced his retirement, the subprime auto finance company said through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that chief legal officer and corporate secretary Charles Pearce is making a similar move.
Credit Acceptance said Pearce decided to retire from the company effective Dec. 31
The company also indicated Pearce submitted his resignation from his current positions effective June 30. At that time, Credit Acceptance said Pearce will assume the position of special assistant to the chief executive officer to assist with transition pending the effectiveness of his retirement from the company.
And Credit Acceptance already put that transition in motion.
Contained in the same SEC filing, the company said it appointed Erin Kerber, who currently is serving as senior vice president and assistant general counsel of regulatory compliance, to succeed Pearce as Credit Acceptance’s chief legal officer and corporate secretary effective July 1.
Credit Acceptance recapped that Kerber joined the company in 2010 as a litigation manager and was promoted to director of regulatory compliance in 2012. She was named vice president of regulatory compliance in 2014 and assumed her present position in 2018.
The company added that from 2003 until joining Credit Acceptance, Kerber was an attorney with the law firm Dickinson Wright PLLC.
