INNOVATION AND TECH TRACK: Leveraging Big Data for Better Predictive Ability

Director of Data Solutions, Optimal Blue, LLC

Brennan O’Connell is Optimal Blue’s director of data solutions. In this role, Brennan is responsible for the company’s data strategy across all data products, including competitive loan pricing, origination activity, and pipeline hedging and trading. Brennan serves as an advisor for lenders who are building out their analytics capabilities using Optimal Blue data, and he leads business development of data products into new end markets. He is also a trusted resource for mortgage-focused media outlets, with recent appearances in the Wall Street Journal, HousingWire, Nasdaq TradeTalks, The Chrisman Commentary, and National Mortgage Professional. He was also named a 2024 HousingWire Rising Star for his contributions to boosting customer value through data. Prior to joining Optimal Blue in 2019, Brennan held investment banking and private equity roles, advising on sell-side M and A, corporate valuation, and capital placement, as well as investing in middle market companies across various industries including manufacturing, business services, healthcare, and consumer products. Brennan earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, investments, and banking as well as accounting from the University of Wisconsin.

SVP, Enterprise Architecture and Software Engineering, CoreLogic

At CoreLogic, Matt Kjernes is the Head of Engineering at CoreLogic. In this role, he is responsible for the technology strategy, build, and operations of CoreLogic’s AI enabled platform powering our products and solutions with the goal of delivering a rich user experience for the vast population of property professionals that CoreLogic supports through its industry leading capabilities. Throughout Matt’s career, Matt has led several strategic teams focusing on technology M and A, software asset management, technology strategy, architecture, big data/data warehousing, B2B/API, user experience, and product engineering. At CoreLogic, Matt has partnered with his peers to drive an overall technology strategy resulting in a cloud enabled platform where Matt oversaw the implementation of CoreLogic’s AI enabled Big Data Platform, API Gateway and next generation set of products and services powering property professionals across many industries. Prior to CoreLogic, Matt spent 10+ years in P and C Insurance technology with West Bend Mutual Insurance and Marshall and Swift/Boeckh, which was acquired by CoreLogic in 2014. Matt holds a Management Computer Systems degree from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Director - Scores, FICO

Devin Norales is a Director for the Mortgage and Capital Markets team in FICO’s Scores division. He has extensive knowledge in the mortgage Secondary and Capital Markets space. Before joining FICO, Devin led a capital markets team for a mid-size lender focusing on trading, hedging and loan execution. Previous stops include rolls at Cardinal Financial as well as Movement mortgage where he was focused on leading an asset sales team through system migrations. Devin holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Senior Vice President, Freddie Mac

Brandon Rush is Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Experience in the Freddie Mac Single-Family Acquisitions Division. He is responsible for the design and development of digital tools and technologies that enable Sellers to bring our products to the borrower, and the applications that support loan origination and quality control. Mr. Rush joined Freddie Mac in 2014 as the Investments and Capital Markets Business Technology Officer. Before that, he spent two decades leading multi-national teams creating technology solutions at several large banks, including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Morgan Stanley, where he built teams that accelerated change with his business clients in the Fixed Income markets. Mr. Rush holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York system.

Chief Executive Officer, Absolute Home Mortgage Corp.

Matthew VanFossen is the CEO of the Absolute Home Mortgage Corporation, a mid-size Independent Mortgage Banker located in Fairfield, NJ, and Mortgage Automation Technologies, a financial technology provider specializing in consumer mortgage technology. Matthew has been a driving force in the mortgage industry and is a respected figure in the community. Additionally, he serves as the president of the New Jersey Mortgage Bankers Association. Matthew commands an extensive knowledge of the broader housing industry, with over a decade of experience in residential mortgage lending and overseeing over $5 billion in retail originations as CEO of Absolute Home Mortgage. Throughout his career, he has taken on an executive role at several successful mortgage companies and has worked as a consultant for various fintech start-ups and mortgage lenders nationwide. VanFossen's passion for innovation and the industry is evidenced by his numerous industry achievements. He has been named a "Top Mortgage Professional Under 40" by National Mortgage News and has been featured in various publications, including Forbes, Scotsman Guide, and HousingWire. In 2023, he was awarded the ICE Mortgage Technology Innovators Award for Best Use of Next-Generation Mortgage Technology by Encompass. Under VanFossen's leadership, Mortgage Automation Technologies has become a major player in the financial technology space, offering the web-based BIG Point of Sale to some of the biggest companies in the mortgage industry. VanFossen's technology enables efficient and speedy consumer mortgage transactions, eliminating consumer communication complaints and reducing costs for lenders. Most recently, Matt helmed Mortgage Automation Technologies launch of Big Agent, a revolutionary transaction management platform tailored to help real estate brokers and real estate agents navigate recent changes in the real estate industry.