Christine Chandler Sworn in as 2026 MBA Chair; Owen Lee Named Chair-Elect; John Hedlund Named Vice Chair
(Photo credit: Anneliese Mahoney)
Christine Chandler, Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer and Chief Operating Officer with M&T Realty Capital Corporation (RCC), was sworn in as 2026 Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) during the association’s 2025 Annual Convention & Expo.
“Throughout my career, I have witnessed the significant impact of MBA’s advocacy, research, and education in strengthening the real estate finance industry and the communities it serves,” said Chandler. “It is a distinct honor to represent our industry as MBA’s 2026 Chair. I look forward to working with Chair-Elect Owen Lee, Vice Chair John Hedlund, and our member leaders to cultivate the next generation of industry professionals, advance policies that expand housing affordability and accessibility, and further increase member engagement in MBA’s advocacy efforts.”
Chandler has been with M&T since 1991 and has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. Since 2018, she has been Chief Operating Officer and has overseen credit, asset management, compliance, technology and transformation.
Active in various committees and groups related to the mortgage banking industry, Chandler is a voting member of MBA’s Board of Directors, served as 2023 Chair of MBA’s Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG), and previously served as Chair of MBA’s Audit Committee. She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and is a passionate advocate for mPower, MBA’s networking platform for women in the real estate finance industry.
Owen Lee, Chief Executive Officer at Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. (SMP), and John Hedlund, Vice Chairman of ICE Mortgage Technology, were also sworn in today as Chair-Elect and Vice Chair, respectively.
Lee co-founded SMP, located in Plymouth, Michigan, with his father, Vincent, in 2002 and serves as CEO. Under his leadership, SMP has closed billions of dollars of mortgage loans yearly since 2016, is licensed in 42 states, and has more than 600 employees. Lee is also Managing Member of Title Partners, LLC, a full-service title insurance and escrow services agency.
An active leader in the mortgage and financial services sectors, Lee serves on MBA’s Board of Directors, was previously Co-Chair of its Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council, and was the 2023-2024 Chairman of MORPAC, MBA’s political action committee, where he was a successful political fundraiser, helping to advance the association’s top legislative priorities. Lee is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Mortgage Collaborative’s Technology Fund, a venture capital investment group specializing in the mortgage technology space. He also sits on the Board of Directors of TrAIned, a mortgage technology firm in Pittsburgh.
Additionally, Lee currently holds memberships and affiliations with the State Bar of Michigan, State Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association, Lenders One, The Mortgage Collaborative, and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Camp Sweeney, the largest summer camp in the world for children with Type 1 Diabetes.
Hedlund, a prominent MBA voice and industry volunteer over the years, has served as a board member for several organizations, including as a member of MBA’s Board of Directors, Board Chairman of MISMO, Chairman of MBA’s Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG), Board Member and past Chairman of the California Mortgage Bankers Association, and Advisory Board Member for Automated Mortgage Systems, Inc., and FundingShield, LLC.
Hedlund has served in senior leadership positions in the mortgage divisions at several large financial institutions during his career. He also co-founded and served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at AmeriHome Mortgage Company, where under his leadership, AmeriHome quickly grew to become the second-largest correspondent lender in the country. He helped lead the company’s sale to Western Alliance Bank in 2021, where he was a member of the leadership and executive team until 2024. He also founded and led Adanac Advisors Group, a boutique advisory and consulting firm.
