MBA Names Robert Broeksmit, CMB, as President and CEO

For many Mortgage Bankers Association members, the next MBA President and CEO is a familiar face.

MBA this morning announced Robert D. Broeksmit, CMB, who previously served the association in several volunteer leadership capacities, will become its next President and CEO. He will succeed David H. Stevens, CMB, who announced his impending retirement this past October. Broeksmit will assume duties Aug. 20.

“We are thrilled to have Bob Broeksmit as the next leader of MBA,” said MBA Chairman David Motley, CMB, President of Colonial Savings in Ft. Worth, Texas. “MBA has never been stronger, and we have full confidence that Bob is the right person to take MBA to even greater heights. He brings with him decades of industry knowledge and leadership experience at a time when our industry is facing great change and disruption.”

Broeksmit is a senior finance executive and corporate officer with a 33-year career in the mortgage sector. He comes to MBA from Treliant, Washington, D.C., where as President and Chief Operating Officer he heads the firm’s mortgage service areas and oversees its Executive Office.

Before joining Treliant, Broeksmit served as Executive Vice President with Chevy Chase Bank and President of its B.F. Saul Mortgage Co. subsidiary. He integrated origination business platforms, developed multiple distribution channels and regularly presented to ratings agencies, investment banks and regulators. He has directed all aspects of lending activities, including marketing, sales, operations, secondary marketing, loan servicing and default management. Over his career, he has overseen annual originations of $9 billion, a balance sheet of $10 billion in residential mortgages and a servicing portfolio of more than $20 billion. He also previously served as Vice President with Prudential Home Mortgage.

With MBA, Broeksmit served previously on the MBA Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG) and as a frequent panelist at MBA conferences. He also served previously as Chairman of the American Bankers Association’s Mortgage Markets Committee. He is a graduate of Yale University with a BA in History and earned his Certified Mortgage Banker designation from MBA Education in 2005.

Broeksmit began his real estate finance career in 1985 in the back office of an independent mortgage bank, working his way up the corporate ladder. “I am honored and humbled to be selected for this role,” he said. “Our industry, particularly on the residential side, is facing headwinds, and I look forward to working with the MBA team to address all business, legislative, and regulatory issues ahead of us to ensure the residential, commercial and multifamily real estate markets remain healthy and vibrant.”

Broeksmit told MBA NewsLink his ground-up background gives him a strong foundation to build on as he works with MBA members. “I already know a lot of members by virtue of my experience with MBA and my 33 years in the industry,” he said. “I have familiarity with every segment in the residential real estate business, and I have worked for banks that were active in commercial and multifamily lending. In most cases, I can say, ‘I know where you sit’ and I welcome the opportunity to achieve our industry’s goals.”

Broeksmit takes the helm amid a highly charged political atmosphere in Washington and notes MBA must continue to take a balanced approach on legislative and regulatory issues.

“We have the great benefit of representing homeownership and the efficient administration of financing for commercial and multifamily real estate,” Broeksmit said. “It’s a vision that all stakeholders can rally around…I look forward to working with [MBA Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs] Bill Killmer and his team in getting to know key stakeholders on Capitol Hill. I am very enthusiastic about the great team at MBA and I will certainly be very active on The Hill in building relationships.”

Broeksmit noted despite the political polarization on Capitol Hill, he has been “encouraged” by signs of bipartisanship, such as recent passage of S. 2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, which included a number of MBA goals. “We will continue to work on advancing those priorities, working with legislators, regulators and the Administration,” he said.

Broeksmit said he “welcomes the opportunity to lead the association amid a period of considerable challenges,” as well as to “build on my good friend Dave Stevens’ legacy.” He said MBA is well-positioned for the future.

“One of the great strengths of MBA is the diversity of its membership–residential, commercial/multifamily, independent mortgage banks, banks, credit unions, service providers and state associations,” Broeksmit said.

Broeksmit was identified by a search committee of 12 volunteer MBA members, chaired by MBA immediate past Chairman, Rodrigo Lopez, CMB, and assisted by SpencerStuart, a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm. The MBA Board of Directors ratified the search committee’s recommendation at its meeting this morning.

“I’ve known Bob for over a decade, and he is an excellent choice to lead MBA,” Stevens said. “Bob brings a deep understanding of how the industry works and understands the needs of our membership and I look forward to working with him to ensure a seamless and successful transition.”