GENERAL SESSION: Cyber Risk is Business Risk

Mike Fratantoni, PhD

Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research and Industry Technology, Mortgage Bankers Association

Mike Fratantoni, Ph.D., is MBA’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research and Industry/ Technology. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing MBA’s industry surveys, benchmarking studies, economic and mortgage originations forecasts, industry technology efforts, and policy development research for both single-family and commercial/multifamily markets. Additionally, Fratantoni is president and member of the Board of Directors of MISMO and serves on the CSP’s Industry Advisory Group and the membership committee of MERS. Prior to joining MBA, Fratantoni worked in the industry in risk management and senior economist roles at Washington Mutual and Fannie Mae.

Debra W. Still, CMB

2013 MBA Chairman; Chairman, MBA Opens Doors Foundation; Vice Chair, Pulte Financial Services

Debra W. Still, CMB, is Vice Chair of Pulte Financial Services, which includes Pulte Mortgage LLC, PGP Title and Pulte Insurance Agency and employs over 1100 individuals throughout the U.S. Pulte Financial Services is a part of PulteGroup, America’s largest homebuilder with operations in twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. Still has more than four decades of experience in the mortgage industry. She joined Pulte Mortgage in 1983, as Vice President/Branch Manager of the Maryland Division and subsequently held that position with the Dallas/Fort Worth Division. In June 1997, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Production, and in October of that year was appointed to the Pulte Mortgage Board of Directors and named Corporate Secretary. Still became Chief Operating Officer in 1999, and in August 2004, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. She was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Financial Services in 2010 overseeing Pulte Mortgage, PGP Title and PIA Insurance. Still served as the 2013 Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is currently a member of the association's Board of Directors, and a member of MBA’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. Still was awarded MBA’s Andrew D. Woodward Distinguished Service Award in 2014. As an active MBA member for more than a decade, Still has also served as Chair of MBA's Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG,) Chairman of MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Chairman of the Council for Residential Mortgage Servicing for the 21st Century, Chair of the Affordable Housing Subgroup on GSE Reform, and was Chair of the MBA Forward Task Force. She has also served on MBA's Strategic Planning Committee, MBA's Loan Origination Task Force, and Secondary and Capital Markets Committee. Still has testified before Congress multiple times. Still is presently the Chairman of MBA’s Opens Doors Foundation, serves on the MBA Board of Directors and the Housing Policy Council Executive Council. In 2011 and 2013, Still was featured in “Influential Women of the Housing Economy” by HousingWire Magazine and in 2011 was named one of “The Top Ten Women in Mortgage and Housing” by The Five Star Institute. In 2020, Still was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as “Most Admired CEO of 2020.” In March 2018 Still was appointed to Chimera’s Board of Directors. Chimera Investment Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that is primarily engaged in real estate finance. In September 2021, Still was appointed to the Board of Directors of Enact, Holdings, Inc, Enact is a publicly traded company and a leading U.S. private mortgage insurance provider.Still is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science degree and has completed graduate work in Finance at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Alex Brown

Director, Cybersecurity Business Development, Richey May

Alex Brown is the Director of Cybersecurity Business Development at Richey May. He has held numerous operational roles throughout his 20-year career in IT and Cybersecurity, most recently as the strategic lead for Cybersecurity Service and Product Development with Richey May’s Cyber group. Alex utilizes his technical acumen and business background to bridge the gap between security practitioners and business leaders. Having engaged with over 25% of the Fortune 100 companies, Alex possesses an unrivaled understanding of the pressures that accompany the management of cybersecurity at any scale. His expertise extends into the mortgage sector, where his insights have empowered mortgage companies to bolster their cybersecurity apparatus and navigate the intricate web of digital threats. His proficiency in translating the technicalities of cybersecurity into the language of business has made Alex an invaluable asset in mortgage companies nationwide. His insights are particularly crucial in conveying the critical nature of cybersecurity risks and the quantification of those risks to stakeholders and decision-makers. Alex enjoys building others through education and mentorship in the cybersecurity community and dedicates time to leadership positions in the industry, including Board membership of the Open Worldwide Web Application Security Project (OWASP).

Kurt Pfotenhauer

Vice Chairman, First American

Kurt Pfotenhauer is Vice Chairman of First American Financial Corp (NYSE: FAF), a family of companies whose core business lines include title insurance, settlement services, property data, home warranty products, banking, trust, and wealth management services. Reporting directly to the CEO, Kurt is also a member of the corporation’s Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of its title insurance subsidiary. His responsibilities include maintaining executive level relationships with the company’s largest customers, the U.S. Congress, executive branch, and state regulators. He also has responsibility for the corporation’s marketing and communications functions. Prior to joining First American, Kurt served as chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C.-based American Land Title Association (ALTA). Prior to joining ALTA, Kurt served as senior vice president of government affairs for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), where he was twice named one of Washington, D.C.’s top lobbyists. He previously served as chief of staff for Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Rep. Denny Smith (R-OR) and was vice president of public affairs for United Parcel Service. Kurt currently serves on the Board of First American Title Insurance Company, the ICE Mortgage Services Board of Directors, the MBA Opens Doors Foundation Board of Directors, and the Housing Policy Council's executive committee. He previously chaired the Board of Directors of MERS Corp, is a past chair of the MBA’s political action committee (MORPAC) and past chairman of the Board of MISMO and had served on MBA’s Board of Directors. Kurt holds a master’s degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.