Finance of America adds security, revenue leaders to support reverse mortgage growth

Reverse mortgage lender Finance of America (FOA) announced earlier this week the hirings of Maury Pipkin as chief information security officer and Bryan Summerhays as senior vice president of revenue growth and channel strategy.

Pipkin will report to chief information officer Brian Conneen and will lead enterprise cybersecurity strategy for the Plano, Texas-based lender, according to the announcement. Summerhays will report to President Kristen Sieffert and oversee customer engagement, sales productivity and channel performance as the firm scales its retail platform.

The moves come as reverse mortgage and other home equity-based retirement products draw more attention from aging homeowners and regulators. Reverse originations fell sharply after 2022 amid higher interest rates and product changes at major lenders, but demographic pressure from baby boomers, combined with record levels of homeowner equity, continues to support long-term demand for equity-based funding solutions.

In that context, Finance of America is emphasizing both cybersecurity and disciplined sales execution. Reverse mortgage lenders handle sensitive borrower data and operate under the same data protection and vendor risk expectations facing forward mortgage shops, servicers and fintechs. Cyber incidents can trigger regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and operational disruption, particularly for a public company like FOA.

“Scaling responsibly requires us to invest in both the security of our platform and the effectiveness of our customer-facing organization,” Sieffert said in a statement. “Maury and Bryan bring the experience and leadership needed to strengthen these critical areas as we expand access to home equity solutions and help more Americans achieve greater financial confidence in retirement.”

Pipkin joins from RealPage, where he served as chief information security officer. FOA said he has more than 20 years of experience leading cybersecurity and technology teams across financial services, mortgage lending, enterprise software and digital platforms. At Finance of America, his remit includes strengthening the company’s security posture while supporting continued investment in its technology platform.

“As we continue investing in our technology platform and expanding our digital capabilities, Maury brings the experience and judgment needed to strengthen our security posture while enabling innovation across the business,” Conneen said. “His leadership will help ensure we continue building a resilient technology environment trusted by our customers and business partners.”

Summerhays brings experience managing large, regulated sales organizations, the company said. As lenders face margin compression, tighter underwriting and elevated compliance costs, revenue leaders are being asked to improve sales productivity with data and technology rather than pure volume growth.

“Bryan knows how to build high-performing sales organizations, challenge established ways of working and translate strategy into results,” Sieffert said. “His leadership will help us strengthen our retail platform, improve the customer experience and unlock new opportunities for profitable growth.”

FOA framed the appointments as part of a broader effort to build a scalable, secure and customer-centric operating platform for its home equity-centered retirement offerings. The company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has been repositioning around reverse mortgages, capital markets and portfolio management after exiting certain forward mortgage activities in recent years.

For housing professionals, the leadership changes underscore two trends: Reverse mortgage platforms are investing more heavily in security as digital capabilities expand, and growth strategies in the sector are shifting toward optimizing channels and customer experience rather than chasing unit volume alone.

Lenders, brokers and technology vendors that work with FOA can expect heightened focus on information security standards and data-driven sales performance.

This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.