Celebrating Women's History Month with Covius' Leaders

Throughout the month of March, Covius is celebrating Women’s History Month. We are proud to have exemplary female leaders and contributors within Covius and recognize the value their diverse knowledge and backgrounds contribute to the success of our organization. Click an image to read the full interviews below.

 

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Having female leaders in the workplace creates a more positive environment because we have different perspectives and experiences and offer diverse ideas.

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Being self-aware, approachable and modeling from experience how to be the most efficacious.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
NTC has supported me as a female leader by seeing my potential, giving me multiple opportunities to grow and the chance to prove my capabilities.

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I lead by being strong-minded, understanding, patient and protective of my team and NTC’s employees. This has helped others by reassuring them they can trust me; that I want to help them with as much as I can and understanding that we are all human beings with the same desire to be successful in our roles within the company.

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I have had several strong successful female mentors since joining NTC. They were there to coach me, support me and help mold me into the leader I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the female support and leadership at NTC.

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Diversity enables the sharing of perspectives from different backgrounds and having females in leadership brings a diverse set of experiences and values to the organization. Female leadership can play a key role in contributing to the company’s culture and help to foster inclusion. Representation at the leadership level also enables females to be effective role models and mentors and promotes diversity at all levels of the organization.

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Effective communication with an ability to listen. Leaders should have an open-door policy, be receptive to hearing different views, and promote individual growth and development. Leaders must also be strategic with the ability to set a vision and motivate a team to work towards that vision.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
I joined the organization over 11 years ago and was hired by the WALZ Group prior to its acquisition by Covius. I have had the opportunity to serve in various leadership roles within the IT department, and the company has supported my career growth as the organization has grown. After the acquisition, I moved into a leadership role at the corporate level. This change in responsibilities allowed me to focus in a more targeted IT area but for the organization at large, as opposed to a single line of business. This positioned me to further advancement alongside the company’s expansion and additional acquisitions.

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I strive to be collaborative in my leadership style, whether that be with my team or my peers. I work with my team to set goals that support the organization as well as align with their career paths. I view my role as a leader is to identify the strengths within the individuals on my team, provide guidance and direction to help the team develop and achieve objectives, and remove roadblocks. As a leader in the organization, I promote change, focus on making incremental progress and work to lead by example.

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I started my career in IT and was hands-on for several years before moving into management. I have managed a range of IT teams over the years in IT Operations, Information Security, Application Support, QA and Development. This has given me a well-rounded background for my current role as CISO overseeing the company’s Information Security program and IT governance functions. I also believe understanding the business is important to being effective in my IT roles. Building this foundation over the years has helped me lead my current team as we work collectively to support the business.

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Leadership groups with different genders provides a well-rounded perspective to an organization. We all come in with different points-of-view and being free to provide our unique contributions regardless of gender, background or ethnicity only strengthens the foundation of an organization. Having everyone at the table is vital to the growth of a successful organization. 

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Listening, observing and being decisive. A leader is being able to hire talented people that add value to an organization. A great leader and mentor, Al Will, once told me, “surround yourself with people smarter than you.”  Listening to and observing those carefully chosen people provides all the input needed to then come to the best hiring decision.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
Covius in general supports great leaders regardless of gender. Personally, I like to think gender does not factor into it. Covius does not hold women back and demonstrates itself to be a well-balanced organization. They look at each individual and bring them in for their merits and do not base decisions on gender or appearance. We have developed a collaborative group in which everyone works well together to achieve our common goals. 

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I lead by example. I have pretty much stepped into every role within my company, which has given me the experience to provide solutions for issues as they come up.  I don’t micromanage. I like to teach and watch people grow. If you do everything for others, they don’t have the opportunity to learn. My pet peeve is when people do things the same way because that is the way they have always done them; we always need to look at things with fresh eyes. Progress isn’t achieved by looking backward or standing still. The biggest reward for a leader is to support people and watch them grow. 

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I have had a bit of a non-traditional career path. My degree is in computer science, but I also taught preschool, worked at a car dealership, and volunteered with and worked for a non-profit organization. I have been in the real estate industry about ten years; however, I have worn a lot of different hats throughout life and at reQuire. I have run operational teams, managed marketing, developed an internal Client Success sales team and worked on IT project management. Learning how all those different units operate, both independently and as a whole, gives me a thorough understanding of the business and people I work with.

Experience with different industries is always good and helps you not have blinders on when you are looking at processes. 

Favorite Quote:
“The reward for good work is more work.” - Al Will

We all kind of strive for that, and every time we hear this at reQuire, it puts a smile on our faces. When we come through a tough time, it is reassuring to know that there will always be more work to do because we’ve done a good job and our efforts have been recognized.  

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
I think diversity in leadership in general is critical to an organization, including female leadership. In an organization, you need that diversity to get a broad perspective, which is essential in getting the best results. This applies to day-to-day decisions, all the way to organization-wide strategic goals.

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
One of the most important characteristics to me is the ability to create a culture that supports a trusting environment. This includes all aspects—your employees, peers, management and even clients. If you work in a trusting culture, you are going to feel free to speak up and contribute to the growth of your organization. If you have a fear-based leader or fear-based culture, you are going to have people that are hesitant to speak up and you may miss out on good ideas.

I would also include empowerment. As a leader, you must empower your team and be empowered by your leadership. Empowerment allows you to set your team up for success—holding your team accountable while giving them the tools and freedom that’s needed to achieve collective goals. Some organizations hold teams accountable, but if you do not empower them, you are holding them back.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
Covius has supported me as a female leader as Covius has supported all our leaders. I have been empowered to grow the teams that I lead and empowered to grow our compliance products and services. I also enjoy working with and feel supported by other female leaders in our organization as I would like them to feel supported by me.

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I lead by working to create a foundation of trust. I also believe in reciprocity between our team members and our company. Our team members frequently go the extra mile in order to meet our clients’ needs. I think if you have dedicated team members, it is important for the company to be dedicated to their employees as well. It is a two-way street, and I believe in that reciprocity. A team member that goes above and beyond for their employer should receive that same respect back.

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
A big part of it was a combination of the state of the industry and staying within a field to gain expertise. I began working in mortgage origination in 2001 and moved to default in 2007, so it’s pretty clear that my career path was influenced by the economy and our industry. Additionally, staying in the mortgage industry allowed me to gain a deeper level of expertise that really helped me grow, learn and contribute more. I am also very passionate about helping to develop high-performing teams and find it rewarding to see a team mature and become efficient and effective. That is one of my favorite aspects of leading. 

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
I could say the obvious, which is that by having more women in leadership we’re able to empower those who may feel that gender is an obstacle to their professional advancement. What I want to focus on though is the value having a diverse pool of employees contributes to the workplace. Teams of diverse work pools foster an inherently more inclusive environment and allow us to create more innovative solutions. .

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Never underestimate the power of being a good listener. I have learned a lot just by listening to my team and colleagues. That has helped me better determine where I need to focus my efforts and how to help my team members be more successful. .

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
In my 12 years at Covius, I have had the opportunity to be guided by some amazing mentors—some female, some not. What I find to be the most powerful attribute of those mentors is that I never thought my opinions or thoughts were undervalued because I am a female. I have always felt my opinion is valued and heard. .

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
My team and I are a group of overachievers and perfectionists. Over the years, I have learned that these types of people tend to be very hard on themselves—we should have done something one way and have done it another or the solution is not quite as perfect as we would like it. So how do you manage that mentality and keep morale high? This question brought me back to earlier in my career when I had someone tell me you are always going to have issues to overcome and problems to solve. What is more powerful than just doing a good job every day is showing your clients that you add value. No matter what, we are going to have challenges to overcome. How we respond is going to show our clients that we add value. .

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I have been fortunate in my career. I graduated from college in Nebraska in late 2008, moved to Denver in early 2009, and a week after I moved, I was hired by LenderLive. When I started with the company, I was working on the Operations floor. After I applied for just about every role possible, I was hired for a technical writing job. Shortly after taking on that role, I moved into a trainer position, then to Client Services serving in various roles on that team over a six-year period. About two years ago, I became the VP of Implementation Services. If I could give anyone one piece of advice, I would tell them that over that time it was always important to me to learn something new every day. That general mentality has allowed me to become a subject matter expert at Covius and has helped me get to where I am today.

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Diversifying your leadership team with female talent brings more perspective, ideas and solutions to the table. 

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
A strong leader must lead with confidence, honesty, accountability, care and humility. .

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
From the minute NTC offered me a leadership role, I’ve been well supported by my peers and other leaders. They have granted me autonomy to use my strengths and abilities while pushing me to grow into my opportunities. NTC has sent me to some inspiring events for women in leadership such as the Sharp Heels Summit and the Women of Influence Luncheon. I’ve been nominated for the HousingWire Rising Star award and featured in Tampa Bay Metro’s Inspiring Women in Business issue. .

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I like to motivate others by finding out what everyone wants to gain out of their time at NTC. Understanding their goals helps me to guide and coach them to their version of success. .

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
Early on in my career at NTC, I applied for a promotion that landed me outside of my comfort zone in File Services. It was a brand-new division and there was a lot of work to be done. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Leading in a division that was not fully established forced me to exercise creativity, discipline, organization and learn new skills that were essential to my viability.

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Women in leadership roles are integral in providing creative, unique perspectives and novel concepts that can forever change an organization. .

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
I hold fast to the idea that leadership is not the ability of one person to make all the decisions and take all the actions that lead a business to success. Instead, it is the result of a collaborative effort among an authentic leadership team. The ability to influence others is a fine line that combines an ability to build trust, motivate others and introduce useful ideas at the right time, in the right way. .

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
I feel that NTC has provided me with rapid growth opportunities that have developed into positions of leadership from the moment I walked in the door. I also have an opportunity to be part of an ever-changing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion environment and I look forward to doing my part to improve upon this endeavor. .

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
I aspire to be the type of leader that will be known for her authenticity and straightforward way of dealing with others, cultivating trust and respect not only from inside my department but beyond. I also strive to be a leader that is self-aware of my own strengths and weaknesses, working to leverage both where possible. .

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I have had a very diverse career path including a 15-year period of being a stay-at-home mom. I don’t credit any particular piece of that path as leading to my current accomplishments. All of the experiences, challenges and rewards have collectively shaped me into what I hope is a patient, yet driven, leader who is always happy to learn from and collaborate with other departments and divisions towards common goals.

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1. Why is female leadership important to an organization?
It’s a sign of the times – the world is changing. We need to keep up and be a reflection of those important changes. Having men and women represented at the leadership level provides great balance for an organization.

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Communication is one of the most important aspects of being a leader at all levels – and understanding that communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Body language and tone play an important role in communication. As women, we can bring an empathetic view to the table in our leadership roles. When employees feel heard, they have trust in you as a leader.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
Leading by example–Joe Chappell is an example of an excellent leader. He treats his entire team with respect, and we know he trusts us to make decisions. At the same time, we know help and guidance is accessible. His constructive criticism empowers us to make decisions for our teams and ultimately that allows us to grow in our positions and as leaders. I’ve learned so much from him and hope I mirror some of his leadership qualities with my own team.

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
Going back to top characteristics, I believe in strong communication. I think setting clear and consistent expectations is very important. Communicating with your team and providing feedback along the way is vital to their success. Understanding and supporting my team, as well as holding them accountable, helps them realize the value of their work and output and helps them to be successful and grow professionally in their roles.

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
I have been with Covius through acquisitions since 1999. I began my career at the ground level with Mokan Title. We handled only foreclosures and eventually expanded to REO closings. From MoKan to Lenderlive and now Covius, we’ve been able to expand our national footprint and lines of business, including origination. Starting from the ground up in a very systematic way really helped me learn the entire mortgage process from start to finish. This has allowed me to understand the entire scope of what my team does and how I can support them.

6. What is a quote that best explains your leadership style and who you are as a leader?
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
And honestly, I think this is absolutely true for the way I aspire to lead.
Knows the way: I’ve learned the way through my 23 years of experience.
Goes the way: My team knows I’m right there in it with them every day.
Shows the way: I will always share my experience and knowledge with my team.

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1.Why is female leadership important to an organization?
Female leadership is important to an organization because women bring different skills and perspectives to the table thanks to their cultural differences, viewpoints and experiences. This could ultimately lead to new ideas, or even better decision-making throughout the organization. .

Female leadership also plays an important role within an organization by showing future female leaders their potentials and possibilities. This shows them that they shouldn’t hold themselves back for fear of not being considered.

2. What top characteristics do you think make a leader?
Decision-making: A leader should be able to weigh the pros and cons of any situation and make judgments or decisions not only for themselves, but also on behalf of other employees or departments.

The ability to motivate: A leader provides motivation for team members to want to strive to do better and excel.

The ability to teach: A leader should be able to either teach a skill or provide guidance/mentorship to others that fosters efficiency.

Communication: Great communication that is consistent and concise is effective at obtaining information as well as giving clear direction.

3. How has your company supported you as a female leader?
NTC has supported me as a female leader by giving me the tools and education needed to not only learn and move up within the company, but to also be successful within my own position. As a female in an executive role, my ideas and suggestions have been considered and implemented throughout production handling and organizational structure. NTC has demonstrated that they appreciate and value their female executives.

4. How do you lead and how has this helped others?
My style of leadership is through teaching, guidance and encouragement. I feel that whether employees are on production or in another style of supervisor/leader role, they become more motivated when they learn something new or have a better understanding. This also increases their confidence when they are able to take the knowledge or experience and help others.

5. How did your career path lead you to your current accomplishments?
Each position I have had with NTC has taught me new skills that I have built upon. In addition, being fully trained in multiple areas helped me piece together the production and service lines of NTC which cultivated deeper subject matter knowledge that I have been able to share with other employees.

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