Shore Financial Services Names Paul Orlando Chief Information Officer

BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Shore Financial Services, Inc., one of the nation's leading independent mortgage lenders and the parent company of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), has hired Paul Orlando as its new chief information officer. Orlando will report to Kip Kirkpatrick, Shore's chief executive officer.

"Shore's strength in customer-focused technology has already been recognized by industry experts," Kirkpatrick said. "By adding Paul Orlando, one of the mortgage industry's technology leaders, we have an opportunity to extend our technology advantage."

"I look forward to working with Paul as we significantly scale United Wholesale Mortgage," said Mat Ishbia, President of UWM. "His proven track record in the wholesale mortgage industry is second to none.  He will instantly help UWM."

Orlando's career encompasses more than two decades in IT and financial operations at Detroit-area financial institutions, including Flagstar Bank and Standard Federal Bank. Operations he has managed have won multiple awards for innovation, including the Mortgage Technology Innovative Lender of the Year. He is a graduate of the University of Detroit.

"It's exciting to join a company that is committed to industry leadership, and that recognizes the value of leading-edge technology solutions in building a competitive advantage," Orlando said. "I look forward to joining the proven technology team at Shore."

In related news, the company announced that Bill Van Nort has been named to the newly created post of chief technology officer. Van Nort will report to Orlando.

Orlando is the latest in a group of nationally prominent executives that have joined Shore since Kirkpatrick, a successful investor in highly regulated industries, was named CEO in April. Since then, the company has also hired expert financial analyst Mike Jones as its chief financial officer; nationally recognized mortgage banker David Hall as president of Shore Mortgage, the company's retail mortgage division; leading corporate attorney Mike Castleforte as general counsel and head of business development; underwriting expert Bob Fuller as head of underwriting; regulatory compliance expert Susan Pelto as Chief Compliance Officer; experienced mortgage executive Greg Pappas as  head of Capital Markets; and proven operations executive Michael Kaysen as chief operating officer.

"As our record of outstanding hires suggests, the industry is excited about what's going on at Shore," Kirkpatrick said. "We're committed to becoming one of the largest independent mortgage banks in the U.S. Our management team, including these new hires and other experts from Shore, brings the right combination of expertise to make this vision a reality."

About Shore Financial Services, Inc.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, Shore Financial Services, Inc. provides mortgage services to brokers through its wholesale arm, United Wholesale Mortgage, a top 10 FHA lender, and to consumers through its growing retail arm, Shore Mortgage. Privately held, Shore Financial has operations in 47 states and the District of Columbia. More information about Shore Financial's operating groups is available at www.shoremortgage.com and www.uwmco.com.

SOURCE Shore Financial Services, Inc.