Colin Kirkham

Objective

An accomplished business development and operational leader with a proven
background in increasing profitability, achieving efficiencies, and improving
customer service delivery. Have consistently demonstrated initiative,
resourcefulness, and sound analytical decision-making in developing and
motivating cross-functional teams to achieve their defined objectives. 

Professional Experience

First Franklin Financial Corporation (A Merrill Lynch Company) Portland, Oregon
March 2007 – October 2007

Production Operations Manager
• Led team of 20 professionals in the delivery of all operational functions for
a regional financial services production branch generating $60 million in loans
per month.
• Defined, implemented and oversaw performance and productivity targets for each
function, resulting in timely and proactive customer service, improved accuracy
and efficiency, and reduced operating expenses. 
• Built client relationships, resolved challenges, and determined how to better
support clients’ needs to secure satisfaction, loyalty, and delivery of future
business. 
• Made critical lending decisions based on assessment of loan and risk
specifics.
• Chaired the Process Improvement Team comprised of managers and staff that
identified and implemented best practices to reduce steps and handoffs,
identified training gaps, and emphasized “doing the job right the first time.”
• Reduced staff’s critical errors by 25%; average processing turn-times by 33%;
and operating cost-per-unit by 18%.

Sunset Direct Lending Lake Oswego, Oregon
January 2006 – February 2007

Vice President – Credit
• Developed and implemented credit analysis tools, loan products, and procedures
to meet market needs while ensuring the overall loan quality of a nationwide
wholesale lender.
• Supervised underwriting staff of six, and approved/declined complex loan
transactions of up to $3 million.
• Managed the loan processing system selection and implementation project, and
directed system and process training for all personnel, resulting in a 25%
improvement in cost-per-unit. This technology upgrade also improved the “funded
units per full time employee” efficiency ratio from 7:1 to 10:1.
• Defined key performance metrics and service level agreements, and established
effective management reporting methods for all operational functions. 
• Wrote motivational and informational articles each month for the internal
employee publication, The Sundial. 

Meritage Mortgage Corporation (A NetBank, Inc. Company) Lake Oswego, Oregon
February 1999 – November 2005

Officer and Manager – Regional Operations Center (2001 – 2005)
• Managed a wholesale lending center that processed, underwrote, closed, and
funded $150 million of mortgages monthly from a nationwide network of approved
mortgage brokers.
• Led a staff of over 100 mortgage banking professionals in two local office
sites. Staff was responsible for operationally supporting business generated by
120 nationwide account executives.
• Developed and managed a $10 million annual expense budget.
• Created incentive compensation plans for all staff, driving greater
accountability for four critical areas: profitability, productivity, quality, and
service. As a result, the “funded loans per employee” ratio increased from 8:1 to
12:1 and quality metrics improved by 30%.
• Implemented front-end utilization of imaging platform resulting in a near
paperless work environment and increasing process efficiencies by 25%. 

Officer and Manager – Risk Management (1999 – 2001)
• Managed credit risk and directed a staff of 25 mortgage underwriters who
performed analysis and rendered credit decisions on nationwide production
totaling $100 million per month. 
• Served as subject matter expert in the development and implementation of the
automated underwriting component of eMeritage, the company’s online lending
platform.
• Defined, developed, and administered corporate risk management strategy for a
$150 million company. Identified and quantified inherent and control risks,
evaluated control environments, estimated the company’s exposure, improved
controls and monitoring, validated progress, and presented risk-related
recommendations to executive management for use in strategic decision-making.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP San Francisco, California
February 1997 – February 1999

Manager – Assurance and Business Advisory Service Practice
• Consulted with national financial industry clients to help them lower
operating costs through adoption of “best in class” principles and practices,
increase staff productivity, and achieve regulatory and statutory compliance.
• Evaluated and reengineered clients’ information technology, operational and
communications infrastructures to achieve their goals while managing project
staffing and delivering results within the defined budget parameters.
• Performed a comprehensive risk assessment for one of the nation’s largest
mortgage banking firms and presented recommendations to the client’s executive
committee. Client’s adoption of recommended changes resulted in 20% increase in
market penetrations for wholesale and correspondent channels, 25% lower operating
costs in underwriting and funding departments, successful integration of system
functionality, and 20% reduction in regulatory and statutory compliance errors.
• Developed a comprehensive redesign of credit operations for the nation’s
second largest housing manufacturer and retailer. Client’s adoption of the
proposed changes resulted in a 15% increase in productivity, 20% reduction in
critical error rate, and creation of an effective periodic management reporting
package.

Lomas Mortgage USA, Incorporated Sacramento, California and
July 1986 – January 1996 Dallas, Texas 

Senior Vice President – Mortgage Conduit Services
• Relocated from Dallas to Sacramento to open the new California territory,
establish offices, recruit and train professional staff, and begin operations as
the financial administrator for the State of California Public Employees’
Retirement System (CalPERS), the nation’s largest non-federal pension fund.
• Managed office that purchased $80 million of mortgages monthly from 80 clients
including mortgage banks, savings and loans, commercial banks, and credit unions
throughout California. Reported directly to the President. 
• Hired and motivated a team of six account executives responsible for the
establishment and development of new business relationships with financial
institutions throughout California. 
• Created and delivered marketing presentations and product training classes to
numerous financial institutions throughout California and directly assisted in
increasing our clients’ production and market share.
• Coordinated legal counsel, California legislature, and $100 billion public
pension fund in developing a method of originating and funding loans secured by
pension balances, providing affordable 100% home financing for thousands of
public employees.

Education

Texas A&M University College Station, Texas
Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics
Minor course of study in Finance