With Rich & Rob as co-hosts, You NEED Excellent Guests!
Guest/sponsor inquiries = [email protected]
Thursday June 26, 2025
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Meredith Whitney is a widely respected financial analyst, commentator, and business leader known for her bold market calls and sharp insight into the American banking system and economy.
She rose to prominence in 2007 when she famously predicted the financial crisis and the collapse of major U.S. banks — a forecast that earned her global recognition and the nickname “The Oracle of Wall Street.” As a former Managing Director at Oppenheimer & Co. and the founder of Meredith Whitney Advisory Group, she has advised institutional investors, corporate leaders, and government entities on credit markets, financial strategy, and macroeconomic risk. Today, Meredith serves as the CEO of MWW Advisory, where she continues to provide research-driven insights on the intersection of policy, consumer behavior, and capital markets. She is also the author of “Fate of the States: The New Geography of American Prosperity,” a data-driven look at how demographic and economic shifts are reshaping the future of the U.S. economy. A frequent contributor to major media outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal, Meredith is recognized as a fearless voice of clarity in complex markets. |
Thursday July 10, 2025
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Bill Bodnar is the Chief Revenue Officer at Tabrasa and the catalyst behind Mortgage Market Guide, an industry leading market intelligence solution. For over two decades, his expertise in fundamental and technical analysis makes him the trusted mentor for thousands of mortgage loan originators and realtors.
He is a highly sought-after speaker in mortgage and real estate, sharing his invaluable market wisdom. Bill is also a partner in The Bourbon Room, an 80's themed nightclub on Hollywood Blvd, LA. Sue Woodard serves as Chief Customer Officer at InGenius and as a Senior Advisor at STRATMOR Group, bringing a powerful blend of frontline mortgage expertise and strategic consulting insight. A former top-producing originator and acclaimed fintech executive, Sue is a nationally recognized speaker, coach, and customer experience advocate. Known for her authenticity, energy, and deep industry knowledge, she helps lenders modernize, humanize, and grow. This duo worked together at Vantage Production from 205-2018 to bring that firm to national prominence. And we reunite them here on The Big Picture! |
Thursday July 17, 2025
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Bob Broeksmit leads the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the industry’s most powerful voice in Washington and beyond. As President and CEO, he represents lenders of all stripes—banks, independents, servicers, and commercial real estate players—advocating for smart regulation, market liquidity, and sustainable homeownership.
A 35-year industry veteran, Bob brings both technical depth and policy acumen to the table. Prior to MBA, he held executive roles at Treliant, Chevy Chase Bank, and B.F. Saul Mortgage—giving him a rare 360-degree view of compliance, capital markets, and customer impact. When Bob talks shop, people listen—whether it’s testifying before Congress, advising the GSEs, or decoding the Fed's latest mixed signals. Expect candor, clarity, and just maybe, a few pointed words about what’s really going on behind the scenes in D.C. |
Thursday July 24, 2025
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Nikki Bialka serves as Vice President and National Community Lending Strategy Manager at Fifth Third Bank, where she leads initiatives to expand access to sustainable homeownership for underserved communities. With over 16 years of experience in the banking and mortgage industries, Nikki specializes in developing and implementing equitable lending strategies that address systemic barriers and promote financial empowerment.
At Fifth Third, Nikki focuses on creating innovative mortgage programs, including special-purpose credit programs (SPCPs) and alternative credit models, to better serve BIPOC and low-to-moderate-income (LMI) communities. Her work emphasizes embedding equity into lending practices beyond regulatory compliance, ensuring that more individuals have the opportunity to achieve homeownership. Beyond her role at the bank, Nikki is actively engaged in industry-wide efforts to drive meaningful change. She serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Affordable Homeownership Advisory Council and has played a leadership role in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) Project REACh initiative. |
Thursday July 31, 2025
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Chris Bennett is the Chairman and founder of Vice Capital Markets, a leading hedge advisory firm specializing in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) trading and risk management. With over three decades of experience in mortgage banking and capital markets, Chris has been instrumental in shaping the firm's strategic direction and fostering its growth.
Chris began his career in the commodities futures markets at the age of 15, using savings from mowing lawns to start trading. After earning a degree in economics from the University of Michigan, he advanced into secondary marketing and capital markets leadership roles at Republic Bancorp and Homestead USA. In 2001, he founded Vice Capital Markets, which has since become a trusted partner for mortgage lenders nationwide. Under his leadership, the firm has facilitated the trade of over $1 trillion in U.S. mortgages and mortgage-backed securities through its proprietary technology and advisory services. |
Thursday August 7, 2025
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Katie Sweeney is the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Broker Advocacy at Rocket Pro, where she leads initiatives to empower mortgage brokers through strategic planning, technological innovation, and policy engagement. With a career dedicated to championing the broker community, Sweeney brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles as CEO of the Broker Action Coalition (BAC) and the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME).
At AIME, she served as CEO from 2021 to 2024, focusing on expanding broker influence and advocating for industry reforms. In 2024, she transitioned to lead BAC, emphasizing legislative advocacy and broker representation in Washington, D.C. Her efforts have been recognized industry-wide, earning her spots on Mortgage Professional America's Mortgage Global 100 and Elite Women lists in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In her current role at Rocket Pro, Sweeney continues to advocate for brokers, aiming to democratize technology and enhance broker support systems. She is committed to aligning Rocket Pro's strategies with the needs of brokers, ensuring they have the tools and representation necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving mortgage landscape. |
Thursday August 14, 2025
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Chase Gilbert is the CEO and co-founder of Built Technologies, the leading provider of construction finance software for lenders, owners, developers, and contractors. Under Chase’s leadership, Built has transformed a historically manual and fragmented industry into a connected digital ecosystem, helping financial institutions manage over $400 billion in construction funding to date.
Known for his sharp product vision and deep understanding of construction and lending workflows, Chase has positioned Built at the forefront of fintech innovation. He has led the company through multiple rounds of funding, strategic partnerships with top banks and mortgage institutions, and expansion into new verticals — all while maintaining a laser focus on delivering real value to customers through smarter, more transparent financial processes. Chase is a frequent speaker on construction tech, housing finance innovation, and the future of digital lending. His mission is simple: modernize the infrastructure behind our built world. |
Thursday August 28, 2025
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Jim Parrott is a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and owner of Parrott Ryan Advisors, which provides strategic advice on housing finance issues to financial institutions active in the primary and secondary mortgage market.
Before joining Urban in 2013, Parrott spent several years in the Obama White House as a senior adviser at the National Economic Council, where he led the team of advisers charged with counseling the cabinet and president on housing issues. He was on point for developing the administration’s major housing policy positions; articulating and defending those positions with Congress, the press, and public; and counseling White House leadership on related communications and legislative strategy. Before his time in the White House, Parrott was counsel to Secretary Donovan at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Before that, he was a litigator, first in New York with Sullivan and Cromwell, and later in North Carolina with Smith Anderson. Parrott has a BA in philosophy from the University of North Carolina, an MA in philosophy from the University of Washington, and a JD from Columbia Law School. He was a Peace Corps volunteer and served in Sri Lanka. He currently serves on the local advisory board of the Ackland Museum of Art in Chapel Hill, NC. |
Thursday September 18, 2025
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Jennifer McGuiness is the President and Co-Founder of PIVOT Financial, a purpose-built mortgage finance platform helping lenders access capital markets with flexibility, speed, and control. A recognized leader in structured finance and capital markets, Jennifer brings more than two decades of experience building and scaling mortgage platforms that bridge operational excellence with capital efficiency.
Before founding PIVOT, Jennifer held senior leadership roles across Wall Street and the mortgage industry, including key positions at Redwood Trust, Marathon Asset Management, and Nomura. Her deep expertise spans capital markets strategy, securitization, risk management, and secondary execution — and she’s widely respected for her ability to align investor capital with responsible, high-performing mortgage assets. Jennifer is a frequent speaker on housing finance innovation, credit access, and the evolution of the secondary market. Through PIVOT, she is redefining how nonbank lenders fund loans and access liquidity, empowering them to scale with confidence. |
Thursday September 25, 2025
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Ashlee Randall is the SVP of Product Development and Strategy at Class Valuation, one of the nation's leading appraisal management companies. With over 15 years of experience driving innovation in mortgage operations and valuation technology, Ashlee leads strategic initiatives that modernize the appraisal process and improve outcomes for lenders, borrowers, and appraisers alike. She actively participates in GSE working groups on UAD 3.6 implementation and is a frequent voice on appraisal modernization. |
