2023 Conference Speakers

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

We have assembled a lineup of renowned keynote speakers who will be sharing their insights and innovative ideas on building strong relationships and making connections in the current industry climate. These esteemed speakers include Riaz Meghji, Human Connection Expert and author of Every Conversation Counts, Tamara Taggart, a community leader, activist, veteran broadcaster, cancer survivor and mother, as well as Brendon Ogmundson, Chief Economist at BC Real Estate Association. Stay tuned for updates to our line up of speakers. We will update this page with panelists and moderators soon!

PRESENTED BY

RIAZ MEGHJI

Human Connection Expert |Author of Every Conversation Counts

Riaz Meghji is a human connection keynote speaker and author of the book Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships. He is also an accomplished broadcaster with 17 years of television experience, interviewing experts on current affairs, sports, entertainment, politics and business. Along the way, he not only learned the power of a candid conversation, but also how to put it into practice.

Meghji has hosted for Citytv’s Breakfast Television, TEDxVancouver, MTV Canada, CTV News, and the Toronto International Film Festival. He is a natural storyteller with a proven ability to conduct engaging, in-depth conversations across various disciplines, making him a highly sought-after keynote speaker and moderator. Meghji is also the founder of Every Conversation Counts: a platform that shares insights from leaders, celebrities, athletes, and philanthropists all with one common thread—memorable conversations that forever altered the course of their life.

Off camera, Riaz dedicates himself to philanthropy and causes he cares about including Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and Covenant House. He holds a degree in business from Simon Fraser University and studied Leadership Communication at Harvard’s Extension School and the Canadian Management Centre.

PRESENTED BY

BRENDON OGMUNDSON

Brendon Ogmundson is the Chief Economist for the BC Real Estate Association. He holds an MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and is a CFA Charterholder.

Brendon specializes in housing market analysis and macroeconomic forecasting and authors several BCREA monthly and quarterly publications. He is a member of the BC Ministry of Finance’s Economic Forecast Council, a contributor to the Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s Survey of Professional Forecasters and was recently named one of the most influential economists in BC by Business in Vancouver Magazine.

PRESENTED BY

MATT WOOD

TOPIC: BRANDING & DESIGN
Understanding what a brand actually is and how it can add value to you and your career.

Matt is committed to making a difference for North American companies in the area of brand and strategy first graphic design. He has been branding companies for over 24 years, from London, England and now in Canada. Clients have ranged from the Government of Canada, Phillips, TELUS, P&O Cruise Line, Future Shop as well as many local companies.

As a Certified Design Professional (Society of Graphic Designers of Canada), he is in the top four percentile of Canadian designers with a master’s degree (Royal College of Art in London, England) in graphic design. Since graduating, he has worked in design, art direction, management, business ownership, sales training and marketing.

TAMARA TAGGART

Tamara Taggart is a community leader, activist, veteran broadcaster, cancer survivor, and mother.

With a broadcasting career spanning 28 years in television, radio, and digital media, Tamara has also focused two decades of volunteer efforts on health care and the well-being of children and people with disabilities. She is a community leader who advocates for others and raises much-needed funds for many important causes, contributing thousands of hours and serving as a director of several non-profit organizations. Tamara currently hosts the podcast Telus Talks with Tamara Taggart from her home studio and is the volunteer president of Down syndrome BC.

In 2015 Tamara was awarded the Order of BC—the highest honour awarded by the Government of British Columbia—in recognition of her years of public service. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of the Fraser Valley in 2016.

Tamara is a sought-after keynote speaker on self-advocacy, resilience, and overcoming challenges.  She and her husband Dave have three children— son Beckett, and daughters Zoë and Poppy.  They also share their home with George their Airedale Terrier, Penelope their rescue dog and rescue cats Broccoli and Brussel Sprout.

PANELISTS AND MODERATORS

Eric Poblete – Equifax 

Panelist

Eric Poblete is a sales professional with over 30+ years experience working with all vertical markets. In the last 11 years Eric has worked with Equifax Canada with a focus on the mortgage, rental and housing industries. As the Equifax ambassador for the mortgage broker market, he has provided extensive support and education to all the varied stakeholders including brokers, lenders, underwriters, real estate agents, and insurers helping them to understand credit, compliance, financial trends and fraud directly and indirectly related to the mortgage market.

Ryan Spence – Filogix 

Moderator

Ryan Spence leads the mortgage broker channel for Filogix and for many years has helped mortgage brokers across the country in their technology evolution.  A past chair of the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association, Ryan has for many years sat at the intersection between technology and education, providing training and support for Filogix’s Expert software and advice to the many participants of the mortgage ecosystem as they look to achieve their greatest success.

Deb White –  DLC White House Mortgages

Moderator

Deb White has been assisting her clients with their mortgage needs since April 1999 and established White House Mortgages DLC in January 2005. As an award-winning broker Deb prides herself on her ability to find the best rate for her clients’ mortgages and to find solutions to even the most difficult mortgage approval. With this in mind, Deb has been ranked in the top 75 brokers across Canada over the past 10 years. This is a testament to her dedication to the industry and to her clients.

Pam Skinner – BCFSA 

Panelist

Pamela Skinner is a Senior Vice President at BCFSA, responsible for Education and Licensing and the Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation operations.

Pam has over 30 years’ experience in banking and regulatory services.

Sumita Dunbar – BCFSA 

Panelist

Sumita Dunbar – Sumita Dunbar is the Manager of Licensing and Registrations for mortgage brokers. Sumita has been with BCFSA and the former FICOM for eight years. Previous to this Sumita spent 18 years in federally regulated banks with roles in risk and auditing.

Caroline Allen – BCFSA 

Panelist

Caroline Allen is Manager Education at BCFSA, responsible for education program development and delivery for real estate and mortgage brokers.  Caroline has over 20 years’ experience in planning and designing regulatory education.

Traci Merkel – MCAP 

Panelist

Traci became licensed as a mortgage broker in 2007. In 2014 she started working at MCAP as an underwriter and in 2021 transitioned to Broker Relationship Manager.

Rob Orban – Scotiabank

Panelist

Rob received his broker license in 2002 and spent his first years in the industry as a broker and underwriter.  He joined MCAP and worked there as an underwriter for 8 years, and then left for Scotiabank where he has been a BRM for the last 6 years.  He likes long walks on the beach, lemon pie, and finely starched shirts.

Jennifer Scott – TD 

Panelist

Jennifer Scott is a dynamic leader with an extensive background in mortgage underwriting. She joined First National in 2015 as a funder, working in their third-party division, TDMS. Since then, she has steadily climbed the ranks, gaining experience and knowledge in various roles such as associate mortgage underwriter and underwriter. Currently, Jennifer serves as a team manager, where she uses her expertise to oversee and guide her team to success.

Kristina Morrison – First National

Panelist

Kristina Morrison began her mortgage career with First National 19 years ago; starting in underwriting, naturally moving to business development, and currently leads the BC sales team as the Regional Sales Manager. Kristina is especially passionate about continued education in the broker channel and has contributed to the BC Lenders Group since its inception, providing training and growth opportunities to new brokers throughout the industry.  While she’s not supporting her team, you’ll find her spending time with her family.

Ed Kim – First National 

Panelist

Ed Kim is a seasoned mortgage lending professional with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently in his 11th year with First National, where he started in 2012 as an underwriter and has since risen to become a team manager in 2021. Prior to joining First National, Ed worked for several lenders in the mortgage broker space as an underwriter, where he gained extensive experience in different areas of mortgage lending, including prime, subprime, and B lending. With his vast knowledge and experience in mortgage lending, Ed is a valuable panelist and brings a wealth of expertise to any discussion on the subject.

Brent Batten – DLC White House Mortgages

Panelist

Brent has been a mortgage broker in the Okanagan since 2020 with DLC White House Mortgages. During 2020, after making the decision to change professions, Brent started his career from a hospital room at BC Children’s while having 2 children admitted, and never looked back. Prior to becoming a broker, Brent was a civil mediator, handling corporate disputes and conflict education.  When not brokering, Brent and his wife enjoy the Okanagan sunshine, and have 3 horses, 3 cats, 2 dogs, and 3 kids to keep them busy.

Samantha Manning – The Mortgage Group 

Panelist

Samantha Manning is a mortgage broker with TMG- The Mortgage Group. She previously worked for nearly a decade in the tech industry and throughout her career earned a reputation for her exceptional customer service and attention to detail. Since moving into the mortgage industry two years ago she has established herself as a trusted advisor to her clients and is committed to helping them navigate the complex process of securing a mortgage with ease and confidence. She prides herself in helping her clients achieve their financial goals through building long-term real estate wealth.

 

Konstantin Seroshtan – Verico Compass LendingMax 

Panelist

I was born and raised in Kaliningrad, Russia. In 2008, after graduating from high school I moved to Kelowna (British Columbia) at the age of 17 by myself to learn English and study Business Administration at Okanagan College. Upon graduating from college, I held various positions in the Food, Hospitality and Retail industries.

Prior to obtaining my mortgage broker license in 2020 I spent 7 year in the automotive industry where I worked in sales and finance. I helped hundreds of clients with the second largest purchasing decisions of their lives – an automobile. Now I am a trusted advisor in their home buying process. I have been the top producer/performer in my previous roles and started my mortgage career as one of CMP’s rising stars for 2021.

Danny Horner – DLC 

Panelist

Danny Horner joined the mortgage industry in 2017, where he began his career as a Licensed Assistant for a top performing mortgage team. He credits this experience and the mentorship he received as an important steppingstone for his success.

Four years later, in December of 2020, Danny decided to step out on his own and created DLC Horner Mortgages. Since then, he has been in the DLC top 5% each year, was nominated for the DLC Rookie of the Year, and given the CMA Rising Star Award. Awards aside, he has had the pleasure and privilege of leading hundreds of people through their mortgage journey to date.

Adam Korbin – InstaFund

Moderator

Adam is president of InstaFund, one of Canada’s leading private mortgage lenders.  InstaFund operates two mortgage investment companies as well as syndicating with it’s private investors.  He is also team principle of InstaFund Bike racing, one of Canada’s few Women’s Professional Bike teams. He sits on the board of many charitable organizations and In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family sailboat racing, cycling and cooking.

Dustan Woodhouse – Mortgage Architects 

Moderator

As of 2021 Dustan Woodhouse is President of Mortgage Architects, a role he has enjoyed for 3 years. Pervious to this he authored the ‘Be The Better Broker’ series, with more than 10,000 copies sold. In a field of 20,000 Mortgage Brokers Dustan was ranked Top 20 by CMP magazine for seven years running while personally being the face and the voice of 1,695 mortgage transactions totaling just over 775 million in volume. Dustan eats, sleeps, and breathes all things mortgage industry related. His true passion is seeing others succeed beyond what they thought was possible themselves.

Jeff Brown – FCT 

Panelist

Jeff has been in the banking industry for over 30 years.  Jeff has spent the majority of the last 14 years with FCT. Jeff has also worked with RBC, BMO, CWB and Coastal Community Credit Union in a variety of sales and leadership positions. Jeff has played a key role in providing education on the value of title insurance across Western Canada. Jeff spends his down time with his family supporting local soccer and football leagues as well as enjoying the outdoors. He is an avid Boston Bruins and Las Vegas Raiders fan, following them both for almost 40 years!

Eartha West – CMHC 

Panelist

With over 20 years in the finance / mortgage industry, every so often something new will bring a challenge to keep things fresh and feeds the passion to do what’s right for the greatest good. Combating fraud is among those passions and I add a serving of encouragement, support, innovative thought, and sprinkles of vulnerability to fill the cup of others who are striving to do the same.

Laura Morgan – Sagen 

Panelist

Laura Morgan is Vice President Operations at Sagen Mortgage Insurance Canada.  Laura is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry.  She is responsible for leading the Underwriting, Customer Service, Fraud Prevention and Operational Effectiveness teams. These senior leadership roles have offered her the opportunity to demonstrate her ability to provide strategic direction and financial leadership to business decision-making while pursuing customer centric solutions and cost avoidance.

Randal Slavens – Canada Guaranty

Panelist

Randal Slavens joined Canada Guaranty in 2013 and is currently Vice President, Risk Management & Adjudication Strategy, where he is responsible for optimizing and managing all facets of the adjudication process. Prior to joining Canada Guaranty, Randal spent more than 10 years at TD Bank where he worked in a variety of roles including Risk Management, Real Estate Secured Lending and Treasury & Balance Sheet Management. Randal holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, a master’s in international Affairs from Carleton University and a certification in Financial Risk Management.

Kristina Morrison – First National 

Moderator

Kristina Morrison began her mortgage career with First National 19 years ago; starting in underwriting, naturally moving to business development, and currently leads the BC sales team as the Regional Sales Manager. Kristina is especially passionate about continued education in the broker channel and has contributed to the BC Lenders Group since its inception, providing training and growth opportunities to new brokers throughout the industry.  While she’s not supporting her team, you’ll find her spending time with her family.

Leigh Walker – Lawrenson Walker Realty Advisors 

Panelist

Leigh was born and raised in Vancouver, and began his career as a realtor before moving on to appraisals. He has been the President of Lawrenson Walker Appraisers since 2008. Lawrenson Walker Appraisals is the largest residential appraisal firm in Western Canada and is a team of 35 appraisal professionals servicing Greater Vancouver, Greater Victoria, Okanagan, Peace Region, Edmonton and Calgary. In his 25 year appraisal career, Leigh has appraised 25,000+ properties. He was the former Director of Appraisals Institute of Canada, former Director of Canadian Association of Mortgage Brokers of BC, and is an all around real estate enthusiast.

 

Adam Lawrenson – Adlaw Appraisals Ltd. 

Panelist

Nobody says, “I want to be an appraiser when I grow up”. Nobody except Adam Lawrenson.

Adam grew up in a real estate family with a father who raised kids while growing a large appraisal company in Surrey, BC. At the age of 13, Adam was enthralled by the growth of the business, the human capital that was completing the work and how the work tied in with mortgage financing. In grade 12, Adam did a 3-week work placement at his dad’s firm (unpaid) and worked as an assistant for 3 of the top appraisers. The rest is history. After six years working for 3 major players in the market, Adlaw Appraisals was born in March 2013.

Adam loves to win! Adam loves when his clients win! This is the backbone of Adlaw Appraisals. Since 2013, Adlaw Appraisals has grown to be a trusted Appraisal firm by over 100 institutions across BC and their values of ‘integrity, accuracy and speed” provide a framework for all the appraisers and staff to lead with integrity and complete appraisals that are accurate and done faster than any other firm in the market.

Jeff Tisdale – Landcor Data Corporation 

Panelist

Since 2016, Jeff Tisdale has been in the role of Chief Executive Officer at Landcor Data Corporation – a boutique online residential valuation and marketing analytics company in New Westminster.  Jeff joined Landcor in 2012 as a Sales Manager, following 15 years in the Credit Union Industry in a variety of roles including Personal Account Management, Marketing Product Manager & Branch Management.

Hali Nobel – Fisgard 

Panelist

Hali Noble is a founding Director and currently is a Senior Vice-President of Fisgard Asset Management Corporation, a well-known Canadian Mortgage Investment Corporation (MIC). She manages Fisgard’s mortgage broker and lender relationships, communication, and business advancement departments.

Hali has spent her career as an alternative/private mortgage lender and is a Past President of CMBA-BC. She has won several industry recognitions including being inducted into the Canadian Mortgage Hall of Fame, receiving CMBA-BC’s Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement, and being named one of WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the category of Trailblazers and Trendsetters. She is a co-founder of Women In the Mortgage Industry (WIMI).

Jason Parlee – First Circle 

Panelist

Jason has spent most of his 25+ year career in the real estate and mortgage industries. Upon graduating from the Real Estate Program at BCIT, he worked within the Commercial Real Estate industry, specializing in Research, Acquisition and Management.Transitioning into the Residential Mortgage industry, Jason became a Licensed Mortgage Broker focusing his expertise on Bank and Credit Union turn downs for Spectrum Canada and RBC Alternative Mortgage Solutions Program. He also worked as Business Development Manager for national alternative lender. With his extensive skills and experience in the alternative lending space, he joined First Circle in 2015 as Mortgage Officer. He currently holds the position of Vice President, Mortgage Lending; Jason is passionate about providing lending solutions to the broker community.

Jared Morrison – Alta West Capital 

Panelist

For more than 30 years, Jared Morrison’s commitment to banking and business-to-business sales has enabled him to thrive as a leader in the mortgage industry. Appointed COO of Alta West Capital in 2016 – his knowledge and passion for the mortgage industry continue to help drive the company forward. He is the designated individual for Alta West Capital and a director of the company and each of its two MICs – highlighting his professional and personal commitment. When away from duty, Jared is often found on sports fields enjoying rugby or participating in watersports or snowboarding activities with his family.

Grant Armstrong – Community Trust 

Panelist

Grant Armstrong, Director Originations.  Grant has been in the mortgage industry for 23rd, working with several of the major national banks.  Grant joined Community in 2020, after leading CIBC Alt lending business (formerly HLC Mortgage Options) with a goal of launching nationally. He recently was promoted from the Director of National Sales to lead Community Trusts Credit policies and operations.

Grant is also a member of MPC’s board of directors, and a retired military officer with nearly 20yrs experience.

Jason Provencher – Bridgewater 

Panelist

Jason Provencher is responsible for sales delivery and relationship management of the Bank’s National Sales channels, including Broker Services, Direct Sales, and the Customer Experience Centre. This also includes the development, management and execution of the Bank’s various product and service portfolios including mortgages and deposits.

Jason has over 25 years of experience in financial services. Before joining Bridgewater Bank, Jason’s career began in retail banking at ATB Financial. Since joining the bank (18yrs ago), Jason successfully applied his leadership skills by managing high volume funding operations and helped establish the broker-sourced model that has served the bank for more than two decades.  Jason has been the VP National Sales for 3yrs and is steadfast in his commitment to the Broker network.

Dustan Woodhouse – Mortgage Architects

Moderator

As of 2021 Dustan Woodhouse is President of Mortgage Architects, a role he has enjoyed for 3 years. Pervious to this he authored the ‘Be The Better Broker’ series, with more than 10,000 copies sold. In a field of 20,000 Mortgage Brokers Dustan was ranked Top 20 by CMP magazine for seven years running while personally being the face and the voice of 1,695 mortgage transactions totaling just over 775 million in volume. Dustan eats, sleeps, and breathes all things mortgage industry related. His true passion is seeing others succeed beyond what they thought was possible themselves.