Mortgage Professionals Canada announces new regional director nominees

On Friday, industry association Mortgage Professionals Canada announced the results of its recent board of director elections, naming the four new regional director nominees to be ratified at MPC’s Annual General Meeting on November 17.  

The new regional directors include:

• Bud Jorgenson – Saskatchewan
• Veronica Love – Ontario
• Kuljit Singh – Ontario
• Maxime Stencer – Quebec

MPC CEO Paul Taylor told Mortgage Broker News that he is excited to work with the new group of electees.

“As the elected representatives of their respective communities, they’ve clearly demonstrated the trust of the members they will represent,” Taylor said. “Each has a different respective role in our mortgage broker origination model and will provide their unique additional perspectives to our strategic discussions.”

Taylor said this year’s election generated both a “rich slate of nominees” for voters to choose from, as well as record voter turnout. The participation rate for 2020 beat last year’s figure by 8%.

“I’m very encouraged by the overall level of engagement of membership throughout the election process, but also in our association’s initiatives in general,” Taylor said.

For readers who may be unfamiliar with the new regional directors, three of whom will be providing leadership in two of Canada’s most active real estate markets, here’s a quick introduction.

Bud Jorgenson
Managing Partner – TMG The Mortgage Group Prairies
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Why did you run to be a regional director for MPC?
I ran for regional director because I understand and appreciate the important role that Mortgage Professionals Canada plays in our industry and wanted to show my support of the organization. I also wanted to do my small part for the Saskatchewan mortgage brokers and mortgage business, which have both been so good to me over the past 17 years.

What do you bring to the table that you believe will make you an asset to the group? 
I bring many years of industry experience where I have developed a deep understanding of our industry and built many great relationships that I believe will be an asset to MPC.

As Saskatchewan’s regional director, what issues will you be paying especially close attention to?
I would like to increase consumer awareness and broker adoption of MPC’s Mortgage Designations. I would like to push for the power to be returned to the consumer during the renewal process and, generally speaking, I will be focused on continuing to move the mortgage broker industry forward. 

What was the campaign experience like for you?
In true Saskatchewan style, I didn’t have to campaign. A group of us from different brokerages discussed three years ago who we felt would be best for the role and nominated Jane Kulbida. As Jane’s time was coming to an end, that same group discussed that I should take on this role. Jane put my name forward and I ran uncontested.

Veronica Love
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development – TMG The Mortgage Group
Toronto, Ontario

Why did you run to be a regional director for MPC?
I have always admired the incredible work that the MPC staff and many MPC board members have accomplished. The board’s role is to set the strategic direction of the association, working collaboratively with the staff to deliver for the Canadian mortgage community. 

It is in my DNA to want to be involved. I have always attended MPC events, including being a keynote speaker at regional symposiums and the national conference. Whether I am volunteering at a charity golf event or strategizing with industry colleagues on member engagement, I am that person who takes initiative and gets involved. After 10 years of experience from both the brokerage and lender side, I wanted to give back in a bigger way and give more of my time to help our national association accomplish its goals.

What do you bring to the table that you believe will make you an asset to the group?
My background is in public relations and events. I have a passion for helping grow brands and get key messaging to the right audiences. Over the years, I have built a strong connection to a large following of people.

I plan to enhance the communications MPC puts out. I have found that many agents and brokers don’t know what MPC is working on or how the association benefits them. I will tap into my social media presence to help engage more members. I also hope to increase membership.

As one of Ontario’s regional directors, what issues will you be paying especially close attention to?   
The association is working hard to gain media attention for our industry. There has been a lot of new coverage lately by MPC and Paul Taylor sharing the value of working with a mortgage agent/broker. This is a story that we need to continue to broadcast to more Canadians. I have been impressed with the lobbying that has been done since the government has put some tough restrictions in place. It has hugely affected our industry and MPC has been working hard on our behalf to educate our government of the impact of these changes.

I feel strongly about the fact that only some mortgage professionals are paying into the association, and yet all mortgage agents and brokers are benefiting from the great work MPC is doing for us. This isn’t fair. I believe that, like other industries, national association membership should be mandatory. And brokerage leaders need to feel confident in communicating the need for membership to their agents.

What was the campaign experience like for you?
It is hard to put yourself forward and say, “Please vote for me.”  I feel I am pretty successful when campaigning for companies I believe in, for people who I think need support, or for charities that need funds or awareness, but campaigning for myself just felt awkward.

I tried to instead focus on the goal – to become a board member so I can help more of our industry. I started calling agents and brokers. It allowed me to connect with so many old friends, and I made many new ones too! I heard great suggestions for MPC and helped educate agents who weren’t aware of what the association is doing for us. There is definitely a disconnect with some agents, and that made me excited to contribute because I plan to bridge that gap for our industry. 

I really believe that the phone calls I made contributed to my success in winning votes. I gained a lot of support through those conversations. I am so grateful for that, and for all who connected with me via phone, email and social media. I am glad my industry colleagues felt that I could help make a difference and I am very appreciative of their suggestions and support.

Kuljit Singh
Broker/Owner – Mortgage Alliance AKAL Mortgages
Mississauga, Ontario

Why did you run to be a regional director for MPC?
I have been working in the mortgage industry for the past 20 years and have mentored many mortgage professionals to become successful mortgage business owners. In my capacity as a mortgage broker-owner, I am fully engrossed and devoted to the cause of this ever evolving and thriving industry and feel privileged to be an integral part of it.

I am really keen and enthusiastic to avail of an opportunity to further widen my horizons by extending services to my fellow professionals in a more responsible position. 

What do you bring to the table that you believe will make you an asset to the group?
My 20 years of industry experience combined with my passion for the growth of the mortgage industry supports the qualities necessary to represent mortgage broker interests as an MPC regional director. I have a unique, comprehensive perspective and I strongly believe that I am well equipped to serve the MPC board.

As one of Ontario’s regional directors, what issues will you be paying especially close attention to?
I am committed to working with the MPC board to (i) ensure that mortgage brokers continue to gain and attract market share; (ii) become consumers’ preferred choice and bring about overall awareness of the profession in a fruitful manner by canvassing for the advancement of the industry; and (iii) ensuring that the voice of mortgage brokers is heard.

What was the campaign experience like for you?
It was an amazing experience to be a part of this election process. It has been great to speak with so many wonderful mortgage brokers throughout Ontario and see first-hand the engagement they had in this election. Everyone I spoke to was so enthusiastic to hear that I, being a practicing broker, would be their ideal candidate to represent them in the board. The feedback from the broker community was so encouraging.

Maxime Stencer
District Vice President, Western Quebec – Manulife
Montreal, Quebec

Why did you run to be a regional director for MPC?
I have always been a fan of the great initiatives put forward by MPC to aid in the growth and development of our industry. Having benefited from various MPC events and programs in the past, I wanted to contribute in a very direct way, to give back in a certain sense, so applying to act as regional director was a great opportunity for me. Also, some industry friends of mine have been actively involved in working with MPC in the past and all mentioned that it was a fulfilling and rewarding experience, which motivated me further to get involved.

What do you bring to the table that you believe will make you an asset to the group?
I believe I’ll be an asset to the group through my passion for our industry and my creativity in tackling challenges. I am known as someone who tends to think outside the box, and I demonstrate professional courage when it comes time to lead an initiative in a certain direction. On a more local level, given my professional and personal background in both Ontario and Québec, I hope to act as a strong ambassador for the QC market and the French speaking communities across Canada.

As Quebec’s regional director, what issues will you be paying especially close attention to?
We are in the midst of some very significant regulatory changes in Quebec at the moment, so that is obviously a hot topic for everyone in the industry, and I believe we will continue to be paying close attention to the impacts of these changes on our members. Furthermore, at the present time, the real estate market in QC is one of the hottest in the country, and naturally this also impacts our members. I believe we will continue to work with the members, lenders and other partners (insurers, appraisal services, etc.) in order to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity in our industry during these times of increased volume, especially in preparation for the busy spring season just around the corner.

What was the campaign experience like for you?
I thoroughly enjoyed the campaign process, and thankfully everything went very smoothly. I had tremendous support from my employer, Manulife Bank, with respect to communications and social media content. In addition, I was very fortunate to be able to count on the support of a number of brokerage firms that helped put me in contact with their network. 

The experience certainly served as a reminder that in order to accomplish great things, you need to work as a team and surround yourself with great people. I believe this was a very relevant reminder, as I am looking forward to teaming up with the great people on the MPC board, and I am very confident that by working together we will be able to accomplish amazing things for the benefit of our industry and our members.