Multi-channel lender Open Mortgage has appointed Mike Hicks to serve as its new national director of reverse sales. Hicks will take over the responsibilities from reverse industry veteran Patty Wills, who will be retiring after a 30-year career in the mortgage industry.
Hicks has served in the mortgage business since 2009, and most recently held the position of reverse sales manager at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. He has also held management positions at 1st Nations Reverse Mortgage, Willow Bend Mortgage Company and 1st Reverse Mortgage USA.
“I am encouraged that Mike will continue to lead our reverse division so that we can best educate our partners and clients to the benefits of a reverse mortgage in the ever-changing economic landscape,” said Scott Gordon, founder and CEO of Open Mortgage in a statement. “We’re full steam ahead in our commitment to reverse and I know Mike will empower that.”
Austin, Texas-based Open Mortgage has made several commitments to expanding its reverse division in recent years.
”What excites me is the opportunity to come in and collaborate with a group of seasoned originators and deliver the training, tools, and support they need to take their business to the next level,” said Hicks.
The company also expressed its appreciation for Wills, who became one of Open Mortgage’s reverse mortgage division leaders in 2022. She is entering retirement after a seven-year tenure at the company, beginning as a reverse mortgage advisor to financial planners in 2016. She also served on the board of directors at the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) from 2015-2020, and as the president of her own brokerage from 2007-2016.
“Patty served Open Mortgage with a trailblazer’s determination to overcome, improve, and succeed — and more so, did such with a smile on her face, having left a lasting impression on our lives,” said Gordon. “She will be missed abundantly, but her contributions to Open Mortgage, NRMLA, and beyond will be remembered with admiration for years to come.”
