PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers, today announced Brendan Mckay and Karis Koehn have joined the association as President of Broker Advocacy and Vice President of Partnerships, respectively. Jennifer Leonard will also be joining the leadership team after being elevated to the role of Vice President of Brand Strategy. In keeping with the association’s aggressive growth strategy, AIME unveiled six new Member Committees to ensure broker feedback is central to the decisions and conversations that are most impactful to the wholesale channel.
Mckay brings to AIME over 10 years of experience in wholesale channel both as a loan officer and broker owner along with his time actively participating in the AIME Community through serving as a thought leader regarding broker best practices, establishing himself as one of the most frequent guests on AIME sponsored content and involving himself in community awareness through legislative affairs. As the President of Broker Advocacy, McKay will be hyper focused on member development and act as a voice of brokers within the community. Koehn joins the Association after 10 years of building an impressive business development resume in the mortgage industry with a specific focus on partnership development and technology integration. As the VP of Partnerships, Koehn will spearhead the Association’s partner management and to ensure brokers have the tools they need for long-term success. Leonard’s appointment to the leadership team as the VP of Brand Strategy serves as testament to her dedication as a premier content strategist in the wholesale channel.
The new leadership structure notably reflects the strategic importance of the Association’s interaction with its members and the transformative initiatives being launched to protect, support, and grow the broker channel. AIME's membership has grown by nearly 400% since the first quarter of 2021 and continues to outpace it's own growth every quarter. This fact serves as a testament to the idea that AIME is increasingly becoming the primary resource for mortgage brokers to support one another and help every member of this community grow their business and best serve their communities.
“We are pleased to announce the newest members of the AIME leadership team as we continue leading a movement to protect the independent mortgage broker community and advocate for the growing broker channel on the key issues facing the industry each and every day,” said Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME. “Our team is dedicated to creating valuable new initiatives that support independent originators to assure their business succeeds today, tomorrow, and well into the future.”
The creation of these new leadership positions will bolster AIME’s mission to protect and support its members in the independent mortgage broker community and activate a number of AIME’s new initiatives moving forward. Directly resulting from the Association’s position of strength established through various proactive campaigns during the first half of 2021 the association is excited to announce the establishment of six Committees, made up of its most vital asset, AIME members, to bring even greater change to the things that matter most to independent mortgage brokers.
The six newly formed committees include:
Channel Development
Develop growth strategies to recruit talent from external industries and retail to transition them into the wholesale channel through new initiatives which promote the benefits of the wholesale community that position the channel as the best option for consumers and potential brokers.
Community
Develop initiatives and enhance member benefits that will support current AIME members geared toward promoting business development that best serves the interests of the wholesale channel.
Consumer
Create focused initiatives to build awareness of why #BrokersAreBetter to consumers, developing consumer advocacy programs and executing community outreach and education strategies specifically within underserved communities.
Government Affairs
Provides a seat at the decision making table on Capitol Hill and spearheads lobbying campaigns and legislative action initiatives to give AIME members a voice in local and federal government.
Partnership Development
Foster lender and vendor relationships to bring the best tools, services, and products to the broker community through AIME Vetted Lender Partners and the Brokers Are Better Network.
Women’s Mortgage Network
Focus on the growth of female home buyers and women in the wholesale channel while supporting current professional wholesale mortgage women with tailored initiatives.
Each committee will be responsible for targeted topics vital to maintaining the wholesale channel’s continuation of the impressive growth trajectory since the launch of the AIME movement. AIME members will receive more information about its various committees in the association’s regular communications and updates to members over the course of the coming months.
“The channel is growing as is AIME membership, so now is the perfect time to expand the leadership team at AIME to help lead and support this dedicated and passionate community,” said Marc Summers, who is remaining as the President of AIME. “All of these committees will work to propel AIME’s mission of supporting, growing and protecting the independent mortgage broker channel.”
AIME is poised to reach even greater heights thanks to the new leadership team at the helm. Today’s mortgage environment is defined by competitive mortgage rates and digital disruption, and the broker channel must continue leveraging data across multiple disciplines in order to meet the moment. By leaning in on the tools of tomorrow along with doubling down on member empowerment through the newly formed member committees, AIME has strengthened its position as a true advocate for the independent mortgage broker and will continue to do so as the wholesale channel moves toward 25% market share and beyond.
About Association of Independent Mortgage Experts
The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) is a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers. With over 40,000 members, AIME is committed to establishing a community of independent mortgage experts by creating an association that empowers them with unparalleled technology, continued education and networking support necessary to successfully advise consumers nationwide with their residential mortgage needs. AIME plans to operate with a growth-focused strategy, providing tools and resources to propel the wholesale channel beyond a 25% share of the mortgage market by 2021.
For additional information regarding the benefits associated with an AIME membership, as well as wholesale-focused lenders and vendors interested in sponsoring AIME, visit www.AIMEGroup.com.
