Marathon Mortgage Corp is a mortgage finance company. Our strategy statement is to be a formidable presence in the mortgage market by mass-distributing and mass-marketing competitively priced mortgage products while delivering an exceptional service experience.
Tell us about yourself?
Like many in this industry, I stumbled upon it while I was a young VP for a software company over 20 years ago. I now find myself serving as the CEO & President of Marathon Mortgage Corp. while also having a seat placed on the Board of Directors. Previous experiences include being President of Mortgage Operations for M3 Mortgage Group Inc., which owns Verico, Invis, Mortgage Intelligence, and Mutli-Prets Hypotheque. Prior to my appointment as President of M3, I was the President of Verico Financial Group Inc. and held the positions of President & CEO of Mortgage Architects upon the acquisition of my company, Argentum Mortgage and Finance Corp. I have been incredibly fortunate to accumulate extensive management experience with mortgage distribution and mortgage lending companies in the area of operations, sales, marketing, and product development. Past experiences in the industry also include holding National Manager roles with two leading mortgage lenders in Canada.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Continue to follow your instincts about opportunities that come your way without seeking them out. Opportunities that hold high intrigue when you are currently happy in whatever it is you are doing is the one that you should pay close attention to.
What problem does your business solve?
We aim to help Canadians overcome the challenge of home affordability by offering the best rates we possibly can to reduce their mortgage payments while increasing their buying power.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Marathon was formulated to solve for Canadians the aforementioned. My appointment came in July of 2020 with a mission to transform the company and put it on a path to success after years of underperformance. While transformation and significant change management take time, the organization is on its way.
What is your magic sauce?
Marathon believes that it has a solid blend of product diversity, pricing, and service to excel in our segment. Although we have deep respect for our competitors, we feel these, along with our agility, differentiate us from our competitors.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Our plan is reduced to some very clear outputs. Continually work to deliver exceptional service, make Marathon a workplace that all its employees cherish, grow our book of business to a certain watermark, provide shareholders with a solid return on their investment, and make Marathon a preeminent choice for Canadians for mortgage financing needs.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The largest challenge by far has been the number of changes Marathon had to make, along with the pace at which they needed to be completed to put Marathon on a path to success. Years of underperformance, low customer satisfaction, lack of scalability, and diminished stakeholder belief and confidence, to name a few, were hurdles that we inherited but embraced as a wonderful opportunity for growth. Fortunately, we have systematically begun to regain the confidence and trust of those that we serve daily (our customers). That’s a true testament to the people at Marathon and their willingness to face the brutal realities of the past but using that as a rallying cry for a significant change. We are not one for excuses. We built upon a collaborative approach of asking ourselves, “How can it be done?” and then working tirelessly to do it.
How can people get involved?
Marathon generates its business through mortgage brokers, who are incredible resources for Canadians, particularly in these current times of rapid rate increases and seemingly out-of-reach home prices for many. Ask your mortgage broker about Marathon or visit our website for more information.