World Business Lenders Appoints Robert M. Pardes As Director Of Operations, Completes Executive Team

NEW YORK, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- World Business Lenders, a lender to small business, has appointed Robert M. Pardes as Director of Operations, the company announced. Pardes, a Certified Public Accountant and attorney, brings to WBL over 25 years of global experience in commercial and mortgage banking.

Pardes joins WBL from Cercasa, a de novo mortgage banking subsidiary established by Grupo InterBolsa, in consultation with Deutsche Bank, based in Bogota, Colombia, where he was Vice President and COO.  Pardes directed all facets of the company's business implementation plan. Prior to his affiliation with Grupo InterBolsa, Pardes served as Project Manager and Consultant at Deutsche Bank, providing operations expertise to the Global Markets LATAM group in New York, and contract finance and asset management units in both New York and Florida.

"We are very pleased to welcome Robert to our team," said Doug Naidus, World Business Lenders founder and CEO.  "His leadership expertise and global markets experience is invaluable to our success as WBL continues its momentum in 2013."

Pardes has served on the Advisory Boards of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). He graduated from the State University of New York in Albany with a BS in Accounting and holds a Masters in Laws from New York University and Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School.  Pardes is a member of the New York and New Jersey Bar Associations, as well as the New York State Society of Certified Public Accounts.

With Pardes' appointment WBL has completed its executive team, the company said.  Doug Naidus, who founded World Business Lenders in 2011, is a successful entrepreneur and finance professional with 25 years of business-building and financial industry experience focused on the development, structuring, trading, hedging and distribution of financial products in the retail and secondary markets.  Prior to founding WBL, he served as Managing Director and Global Head of Residential Lending and Trading at Deutsche Bank in New York.

Naidus has assembled an experienced roster of senior finance executives at WBL, including the following:

Kerry Brecker, Managing Director, is a 20-year industry veteran, and was most recently a Director at Deutsche Bank, where he was responsible for all US-based lending initiatives. 

Donald Epstein, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, has more than 30 years of experience in mortgage and commercial banking, including senior positions at Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank. Epstein began his career in public accounting with Price Waterhouse.

Alex Gemici, Managing Director and Head of Business Development and Marketing, is a 30-year finance industry veteran and entrepreneur with experience in capital placement, debt structuring and real estate. He previously served as Managing Director and Head of Deutsche Bank's real estate finance, mortgage origination, trading and warehouse lending businesses in the Middle East and Africa.   

Andy Occhino, Managing Director and General Counsel, began his career in 1983 with Arthur Andersen & Co, the public accounting firm.  Most recently, he was a Director at Deutsche Bank, with responsibility for various business development initiatives in emerging markets. His other affiliations include GreenPoint Bank, where he was Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, and the law firm of Cullen and Dykman.

About World Business Lenders

Based in New York City, World Business Lenders (www.wbl.com) is a lender specializing in serving the small business community.  WBL was founded by a group of successful international entrepreneurs with extensive experience and background in financial markets.  The Company was founded to help the underserved small business sector and satisfy the growing need for small business capital. 

SOURCE World Business Lenders