Meet Our Leadership Team
Meet the people who are guiding Rocket Pro TPO and setting the pace for our mission: helping our partners grow, strengthen and protect their business. Our leadership team inspires everyone at Rocket ProSM TPO to deliver our best to our partners every day.
Austin Niemiec
Executive Vice President
Rocket Pro TPO
Mike Fawaz
Senior Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Anthony Lynch
Vice President, Partner Operations
Rocket Pro TPO
Nicole Steiner
Vice President, Digital Product Management
Rocket Central
Stephen Balone
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Don Chiesa
Senior Vice President, Correspondent Lending
Rocket Pro TPO
Nathan Schrauben
Senior Vice President, Engineering
Rocket Pro TPO
Lauren Carlisle
Executive Business Strategist
Rocket Pro TPO
Joshua Best
Director, Training
Rocket Mortgage
Cory Scholl
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Samuel Umachi
Director, Data Automation, Strategy and Analytics, B2B
Rocket Mortgage
Garrett Reilly
Senior Director, Marketing
Rocket Central
Joe Khalil
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Scott Fishman
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Paul Yatooma
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Kevin Randolph
Senior Vice President, Client Experience Operations
Rocket Pro TPO
Austin Niemiec
Executive Vice President
Rocket Pro TPO
As the Executive Vice President of Rocket Pro TPO, Austin oversees the entire wholesale channel, with teams located in Detroit, Charlotte and Phoenix. Before his current position, Austin led the robust Rocket Pro TPO Account Executive team. Joining Rocket Mortgage® in 2009, Austin quickly became one of the company’s top loan officers. In 2016, he led a large team of loan officers, where he was named Director of the Year. In addition to earning a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Hillsdale College, Austin was a member of their football team.
Favorite ISM:
The numbers and money follow, they do not lead.
Why:
Numbers and money are just measurements of action. When you focus on creativity innovation, leading your team members, listening to your clients; The numbers and money eventually follow, they never lead.
Mike Fawaz
Senior Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
A proud team member of Rocket Mortgage since 2010, Mike firmly believes that his team is his lifeblood, and they live by the “you go, we go” philosophy. Always finding a passion in the family culture Rocket Pro TPO continues to build, Mike is committed to reaching beyond any perceived potential, and he expects the same from his team. Through partnership, he’s committed to reaching goals together.
Favorite ISM:
Numbers and money follow; they do not lead.
Why:
We’re in the people business. If you focus on people, you’ll be able to achieve accomplishments others are not capable of. We take the right actions every day, and that allows us to succeed no matter the market.
Anthony Lynch
Vice President, Partner Operations
Rocket Pro TPO
Part of the mortgage industry since 2005, Anthony blends a strong sales background with an understanding of technology to manage projects that give partners an elite experience. Anthony is obsessed with building a team of mortgage pros who are passionate about their partners.
Favorite ISM:
Innovation is rewarded. Execution is worshipped.
Why:
Without execution, there is nothing. I ask leaders: Would you rather have a perfect strategy with average execution or an average strategy with perfect execution? It's my belief that you could have the most amazing strategy, but it's all for nothing if you fail on the execution. Most humans choose strategy because … execution is intrinsically more challenging, and it is. That's why I live for the execution.
Nicole Steiner
Vice President, Digital Product Management
Rocket Central
As a VP of digital product management, Nicole leads the team who solves problems for our partners and creates great digital experience, including enhancing the TPO Partner Portal. Prior to leading the TPO team, Nicole lead our direct-to-consumer team focused on the Rocket Mortgage suite of products. Nicole started her career at Rocket in 2012 in business consulting.
Favorite ISM:
Do the right thing.
Why:
This ISM guides everything I do – for our partners, for my team, and for the company. If we do what is right, we'll get to the right outcomes.
Stephen Balone
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
As Vice President of Sales, Stephen works closely with our Divisional Vice Presidents and Account Executives to help develop and maintain relationships with our valued TPO partnerships. More recently, Stephen and his group have been assigned to work closely with our specialty channels and partners. Prior to his current role, Stephen was Divisional Vice President of National Accounts and has been with Rocket Mortgage for 15 years
Favorite ISM:
Numbers and money follow; they do not lead.
Why:
I found out at an early stage in my career that one of the keys to your development and growth was investing in your skill, knowledge and trusting the process. I was fortunate to have incredible leadership along the way to help foster that, but I always felt that if you worked hard each day and did the right things for the right reasons, then good things would follow.
Don Chiesa
Senior Vice President, Correspondent Lending
Rocket Pro TPO
Don is responsible for the development and growth of long-term relationships with community banks, credit unions and brokers. He helps clients grow their mortgage business through leveraging our vast products and best-in-class processes for client satisfaction. Don has been with Rocket Mortgage since 2010.
Favorite ISM:
We'll figure it out.
Why:
All our team members work together to make this place great. On more than one occasion, we have been reminded that building something new or creating something special is always messy, and greatness doesn't always come in nice, tidy packages. Have you ever watched a great building go up and the mess that appears when building the foundation? That is the necessity of building a great foundation.
Nathan Schrauben
Senior Vice President, Engineering
Rocket Pro TPO
Nathan leads a team of more 200+ technologists, delivering solution-oriented technology that supports Rocket Pro TPO. Simple, smart solutions are what Nathan’s team strives to deliver. Prior to his current role, Nathan was Vice President of IT and Divisional Vice President. He has been at Rocket Mortgage for 9 years.
Favorite ISM:
Obsessed with finding a better way.
Why:
This is the motto for all of us on the Rocket technology team. It’s our job to find better ways for our clients and team members to interact with us. The ability to change the experience through technology is a very important job for our team. We have to be obsessed with figuring out new ways to do that.
Lauren Carlisle
Executive Business Strategist
Rocket Pro TPO
Prior to becoming the Executive Business Strategist for RKT Pro TPO, Lauren spent over 8 years as a Triple Crown Loan Officer. She has been with Rocket since 2010 and has a wide variety of skills including sales, communication, product innovation, strategic planning and creative problem solving.
Favorite ISM:
Yes before no.
Why:
You need to KNOW before NO. There are a lot of ideas and different ways of thinking. When one door closes, another one opens. Many great strategies have come from working through an opportunity, and if time were never spent exploring all options, ideas could be missed!
Joshua Best
Director, Training
Rocket Mortgage
Joshua brings passion and expertise as the training and development leader – with a history of excelling in the financial services industry. Skilled in educational technology, team building and adult learning, Joshua has been with Rocket Mortgage for 8 years.
Favorite ISM:
Numbers and money follow; they do not lead.
Why:
The actions you take lead to the success you want. If people spend their time chasing numbers, they will fall flat. If they spend their time developing the right habits and caring for their team members and partners, everything else will take care of itself.
Cory Scholl
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
As a highly motivated financial technology executive with over 19 years of experience, Cory places his partners first and works to continuously grow their business. Prior to his current role, Cory was a President’s Club Mortgage Banker for 17 years.
Favorite ISM:
Do the right thing.
Why:
This is the foundation of our culture. … We operate with integrity both professionally and personally. There is no other option: The high road is the only option. When everyone understands that this is how we operate, we all know what the expectations are and live in a much less stressed environment. Nothing in life is perfect, but when you partner with someone that lives "do the right thing," it sure is less stressful.
Samuel Umachi
Director, Data Automation, Strategy and Analytics, B2B
Rocket Pro TPO
In his current role, Sam develops data solutions, business strategies and automation aimed at growing partner engagement within Rocket Pro TPO. Sam has been a part of Rocket Pro TPO since 2012.
Favorite ISM:
We'll figure it out.
Why:
The best approach to solving any problem is to get going, which creates momentum. Tackling big problems will require openness to improvisation, learning and refinement, so just get started working your plans and trust your instincts.
Garrett Reilly
Senior Director, Marketing
Rocket Central
Garrett joined Rocket Mortgage in October of 2021 and currently serves as Senior Director of marketing responsible for Rocket Pro TPO’s marketing communications strategies. He brings 25 years of marketing and leadership experience with several large national financial services firms where he’s held executive-level marketing communications roles. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
Favorite ISM:
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
Why:
There are opportunities to enhance so much, and it's easy to think you have to go for homeruns when, in reality, there are impactful, smaller, tactical wins everywhere!
Joe Khalil
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
As a proud team member of Rocket Mortgage for 10 years, Joe now works closely with the Divisional Vice Presidents and Account Executives to help develop and maintain relationships with our valued Rocket Pro TPO partners. Joe began his career in 2002 as a Rocket Mortgage banker, moving up to Executive Banker and Director of Banking. After spending time in other companies, Joe returned to Rocket Pro TPO in 2018 as an Account Executive, working up to Divisional Vice President, and then elevating his role to Vice President of Sales.
Favorite ISM:
We’ll figure it out.
Why:
I feel that this ISM speaks the most about what we do daily. We use the phrase every day - multiple times. The best part is that we usually do figure it out, and it helps me build confidence in anything I do.
Scott Fishman
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
Scott has been a long-standing team member at Rocket Mortgage since joining 20 years ago. As Vice President of Sales, Scott is responsible for creating an amazing partner experience while providing elite coaching and support for Rocket Pro TPO Account Executives and Divisional Vice Presidents – taking their business to new heights. One of Scott’s favorite parts of mortgage banking is piloting new initiatives, which is what made joining the Rocket Pro TPO team such an attractive opportunity.
Favorite ISM:
Innovation is rewarded. Execution is worshipped.
Why:
I’ve always been full of ‘good ideas,’ but I sometimes lacked the drive to do anything with them. I make it a point to live this ISM now. Anyone can have an idea. It takes a special something to execute and make it a reality.
Paul Yatooma
Vice President, Sales
Rocket Pro TPO
As Vice President of Sales, Paul works alongside the many dedicated Rocket Pro TPO Account Executives and incredible partners to better understand their opportunities and challenges. Using this information, Paul works closely with Rocket’s lending, operations and technology teams to ensure the company continues to deliver products and innovations that meet the actual, real-world needs of our broker partners. Gathering insights from brokers across America, Paul and his team are positioning Rocket Pro TPO to spot trends in the industry and quickly clear hurdles for our partners. A Rocket veteran for over 15 years, Paul has held many prominent roles within the company, including President’s Club Loan Officer, Senior Director and Divisional Vice President.
Favorite ISM:
You’ll see it when you believe it.
Why:
Everything great starts with belief. If you believe, then you can achieve. We drastically increase our odds of success when we believe in our ability to impact the outcome. The strategy and tactics will follow when there is strong belief.
Kevin Randolph
Senior Vice President, Client Experience Operations
Rocket Pro TPO
As Senior Vice President of Operations, Kevin is driven by team culture, process enhancements and maintaining relationships within the broker community. His leadership style is focused on developing, implementing and monitoring strategies that achieve both growth and operational goals within Rocket Pro TPO. Prior to his current role, Kevin led Retail Refinance and has been with Rocket for 9 years.
Favorite ISM:
Simplicity is genius.
Why:
Making the complex simple is tough and takes more than intelligence. It takes hard work and discipline. Taking the time and effort upfront to simplify can create magic. As we are constantly looking to innovate the mortgage industry, always being mindful of this ISM will lead us in the right direction.