LEADERSHIP

“Meet Our Executives

Our executive team is a collective force driving innovation and excellence in the mortgage industry. With expertise spanning strategic growth, operational prowess, and groundbreaking marketing, our ensemble embodies a blend of visionary leadership and unparalleled proficiency. We pave the way for success, fostering an environment ripe for growth, collaboration, and achievement. Join us on this transformative journey, reshaping industry standards and crafting a future where your talents flourish, leaving a lasting impact.

OUR VISION

Seeking new opportunities & solutions
to better serve our people while keeping
true to our rich history & values.

Chief Executive Officer

Franco Terango

Franco has been a leader in the financial services industry for over 35 years. During that span, he has demonstrated tremendous versatility, holding leadership positions traversing lines of business, including consumer banking, investments, small business banking, and mortgage banking (25 years). Franco has long been driven to help others fulfill the dream of home ownership. He has done this by surrounding himself with highly skilled, incredibly professional mortgage sales originators who deliver exceptional expertise and service.

Franco has dedicated three decades to building highly successful teams across the country. His reputation is built on a foundation of integrity and performance. He firmly believes that the key to success in mortgage lending lies in creating a talented organization of elite mortgage professionals who can offer and deliver the best solutions to meet their clients’ diverse and unique needs.

Outside of work, Franco finds joy in spending time with his wife, Laurie, their four children, and two dogs. His commitment to making a difference extends beyond the financial world, as he is also a member of the Los Angeles Zoo’s board of trustees. This involvement reflects his deep concern for the global conservation of animals, a cause he holds dear.

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Robert Kane
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Robert Kane has been a leader in the mortgage industry for over 30 years. Before coming to Certainty Home Loans, he served in multiple executive roles with several nationally recognized mortgage lending companies and banks.

Before joining Certainty, Robert was the Chief Operating Officer for the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lender, where he led the retail and wholesale divisions and oversaw project management, financial controls, pricing and change implementation. Under his leadership, that business grew from the breakeven point to a direct profit of $30 million in just three years.

Earlier in his career, Robert was a key figure in rehabilitating a major global bank’s brand in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. While there, Robert led an 80-person team responsible for the financial management of the retail and consumer direct channels. Prior to that, Robert’s six-person team successfully designed and implemented a new strategic structure for the new organization resulting from his bank’s acquisition of a major, national mortgage lender. He also served as CFO for the bank’s consumer lending business, supporting a diversified team focused on mortgage sales and operations as well as the auto finance group and the compliance organization.
A core member of the leadership team of mortgage lending giant Countrywide, Robert helped drive the growth of the company from 500 to 6,000 loan officers. In his role as EVP of Finance, he managed the financial management of all divisions, regions and branches, which included oversight of the annual strategic planning process; execution of business plans and profitability of all branches.

A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, today Robert lives in Plano, Texas with his family. He is an avid golfer and reader and loves to travel.

Doug Casbon
EVP – DIVISIONAL MANAGER – SOUTHEAST REGION

Doug embodies Certainty’s leadership philosophy, striving to support good people to become the best they can be. Over his 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Doug has learned the importance of a supportive corporate culture, and has routinely used his knowledge, experience, vision and leadership skills to develop successful teams. His goal is to develop driven mortgage professionals, helping them meet their personal goals through mentorship, support and training.

Doug’s has been supporting loan officers and teams grow since the late -1980s, when he himself began his career as an LO. He quickly grew into a leadership role as a Senior Vice President and Branch Manager with Homebanc in the metro Atlanta market. He has since held various leadership roles with other mortgage powerhouses such as Countrywide Home Loans, where he was a Senior Vice President and Regional Sales Executive for five years.

Doug came to Certainty Home Lending in 2011 and has been successfully leading the growth and development of numerous teammates here ever since. He currently overseas our Southeast Division, which includes the Atlanta and Charleston markets.

Doug earned his bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Finance from Georgia State University.

John Loyacono
EVP – DIVISIONAL MANAGER – WEST REGION

John has been in the mortgage lending industry since 2004 and has held leadership responsibilities in the New Jersey, Florida and California markets. He came to Certainty Home Lending after 15 years with one of the world’s largest global banks, where he most recently held the role of Market Leader for their Wealth Management division. In that role, John oversaw 20 wealth management loan officers supporting the bank’s financial advisors and private bank client associates in the greater Los Angeles and Southern California region, leading the Los Angeles market to become number one in both 2021 and 2022.

John came to Southern California in July of 2015 as the Area Lending Manager for Santa Monica/Ocean Cities market. There, he grew his team of loan officers, which quickly earned the #1 production ranking with over $2 billion in volume in 2019.

Previously, John served in the South Florida market as an Area Lending Manager. During his time in Florida, he was regularly asked to speak at real estate industry events produced by organizations such as the Miami and Fort Lauderdale Associations of REALTORS. In 2014, he was named President of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) of South Florida, where he worked to empower that community to better realize the dream of home ownership. He later served on the National Board of NAHREP as a Chapter Trainer.

John began his career as a mortgage loan officer, assisting in the recovery from the foreclosure crisis by serving multicultural, low and moderate income borrowers and becoming the bank’s leading producer in volume for those markets.

John received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University. Today, he lives in Marina Del Rey with his wife and dog.

Keith Stiles
EVP – DIVISIONAL MANAGER – MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Keith has been a leader in the financial services industry for over 30 years. He came to Certainty Home Lending from parent company and mortgage lending giant Guaranteed Rate, where he had served since 2020.

Prior to his time there, Ketih led the Private Mortgage Bank for one of the world’s largest depositories and financial services providers for almost 10 years. There, he realized the same success he saw with the mortgage platform of his previous firm, another of the world’s largest banks, where he had been since 2005. In his roles there as Branch Manager and Area Manager, Keith helped build some of the largest, most successful mortgage branches in the country, comprised of highly successful, diverse team members who best mirrored and served the communities with which they worked. He was recognized multiple times for his strong leadership in growing teams to funding volumes in excess of $1 billion per year.

Before joining the mortgage platform with the global bank, Keith’s career saw a number of regional and divisional leadership roles. During that time, he managed over 100 branches as well as thousands of associates. Keith was responsible for the growth and retention of dynamic teams, deposit and loan balances, all with a continuous focus on the client experience.

A resident of the greater Washington D.C. area, Keith enjoys traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad learning about new cultures and cuisines. He also enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Larry Torch
EVP – DIVISIONAL MANAGER – CENTRAL DIVISION

Larry started his career in mortgage lending in 1991. After over 30 years of serving clients and supporting his staff and peers, he continues to take satisfaction from empowering teammates with all of the tools and resources they need to deliver the services and products that best fit clients’ needs.

Larry came to Certainty after 13 years with one of the largest American mortgage lenders as the Southwest Regional Manager. Before that, he spent 8 years with a large, global depositary, where he was last its Senior Vice President and Regional Sales Executive for Illinois and Wisconsin supporting 175 home loan consultants across 18 branches. Larry began his career with another of the nation’s largest banks as a manager in their home loans division.

A 12-time Circle of Excellence Award winner, Larry has consistently led departments to put thousands into new homes while originating billions of dollars annually.

Larry strongly believes that part of his role at Certainty is to provide borrowers with elite, boutique level service while offering a deep portfolio of products and resources designed to meet their unique needs.

Shadi Kamran
NATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
MARKET GROWTH EXECUTIVE

Shadi’s role at Certainty Home Lending is to strategically deploy and support skilled mortgage professionals who deliver solution-driven, competitive and creative mortgage opportunities to homebuyers. He is passionate about expanding the access to the dream of homeownership or residential investment property ownership by providing fast and simple mortgage solutions that meet the diverse needs and preferences of our clients.

Shadi possesses a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the mortgage industry spanning nearly two decades. His journey in mortgage began in 2004, where he initially specialized in originating complex loans for sophisticated borrowers with intricate financial profiles. Shadi’s later began originating mortgage financing for buyers in new construction condominium projects. In so doing, he built numerous strong relationships directly with builders, developers and real estate agents, laying the groundwork for his future successes.

In 2011, Shadi assumed a leadership role as Senior Vice President with one of the nation’s largest banks. There, he spearheaded the establishment and growth of a mortgage operation within the bank, significantly expanding market share and collaborating closely with key partners in the Los Angeles real estate market. Under his guidance, Shadi’s team achieved remarkable milestones, eventually leading the nation in originations.

Continuing his trajectory of excellence, in 2018, Shadi took on the challenge of leading mortgage professionals working alongside leading financial advisors. His efforts focused on bridging the gap between mortgage originators and financial advisors, fostering quality relationships aimed at enhancing the financial well-being of mutual customers.

In 2021, Shadi embarked on a new venture, building and leading a retail sales team and centralized sales team at the nation’s premier non-QM mortgage origination company.  His demonstrated ability to lead originators through various market fluctuations underscores his resilience and adaptability in the ever-evolving mortgage landscape.

Andrew Siddon
EVP – DIVISIONAL MANAGER – MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Andrew has been in the mortgage industry since 2003, demonstrating a commitment to customers and teammates alike over his 20+ year career. He came to Certainty Home Lending having already proven himself as a top producer and effective leader, having most recently served as EVP with a leading national mortgage lending company for 12 years. Before that, Andrew established his career in home loans with a globally – known depository, where he was a VP, Sales Manager until 2012.

Andrew embodies the Certainty Home Lending core value of serving clients from a financial advisory perspective, matching the borrower’s needs with the most appropriate products. As a manager, Andrew leads teammates from the frontlines, working tirelessly to provide the support and resources they need to serve borrowers.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampden – Sydney College. He lives in the Washington D.C. metro area with his wife, two children and two bunnies. He is also an avid golfer when he can find the time.

Lance Ludman
SVP – RETAIL SALES DEVELOPMENT