KAREN GIBBARD Senior mortgage broker Verico Gibbard Group Financial
For Karen Gibbard, the last few years have been all about personal achievements – while continuing to run her successful mortgage brokerage. “I believe that when you make your personal achievements a priority, naturally the business will follow suit – our business is thriving because I am,” she says. With almost 30 years of financial industry experience under her belt, Gibbard started her sales career at the age of 26, working as a mobile mortgage specialist until she became an independent mortgage broker in 2000. During that time, Gibbard was consistently ranked as one of the top salespeople in her group, and she continues to excel today as a top mortgage professional. “What really gets me excited is simply getting a client a mortgage to buy their dream home or to reorganize a client’s finances to relieve them of extreme financial stress,” she says. “The excitement – or relief – that these clients show me still fills my bucket after all these years and makes me realize that this is how I can do my small bit to help people.”
FRANCES HINOJOSA Broker and managing partner Tribe Financial Group
Frances Hinojosa is a founder of Tribe Financial Group, which managed to grow in less than three years into a firm of 20 agents with five office locations across the Greater Toronto Area. Hinojosa’s passion for the industry can be seen not only in her impressive business numbers, but also in her efforts to mentor people in both business and life skills. Apart from continuously mentoring agents within the firm, she also arranges coaching sessions with professionals in the industry. A dedicated member of Mortgage Professionals Canada, Hinojosa is a member of its Ontario Committee and Professional Standards Committee. She is also a partner with 100 Brokers Who Care and a founding committee member of Kares.ca, a program dedicated to the career and life development of at-risk youth.
SANDRA LASTOVIC Senior mortgage agent and principal The Mortgage Centre
As a brokerage owner, Sandra Lastovic enjoys seeing people reach their financial goals. “I get goosebumps when we’re able to help people buy their first house, restructure their debt to help them through a tough financial time or buy another rental property,” she says. A strong advocate for women in leadership, Lastovic has volunteered on many boards in her community, including the Guelph Community Health Centre and the Ontario Agricultural College Alumni Association. In addition, she has been a member of the Rotary Club of Guelph since 2003, where she has served on several committees over the years. She is also past president of the Mid-Day Momentum Chapter of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, where she has been an active member for 10 years.
SHANNON HILLMAN President BlueShore Pacifica Alternative Mortgage Centre
Shannon Hillman was instrumental in the launch of BlueShore Pacifica Alternative Mortgage Centre [AMC], which caters to alternative lending needs and interests in BC’s Lower Mainland. Hillman also serves as director for Pacifica Mortgage Investment and Capital West Mortgage; under her leadership, the three companies managed to exceed $300 million in combined mortgage sales for 2015. In 2016, AMC alone managed to secure more than 200 deals, amounting to $185 million. Hillman is the VP and membership chair for the BC MIC Managers Association and a member of CMBA and MPC. Outside of the industry, she is part of the Spirit Foundation and supports various charities through her company, including the Ronald McDonald House, Delta Hospital Foundation and Vancouver Resource Society.
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