As the chief operating officer at United Wholesale Mortgage, Melinda Wilner leads more than 1,100 employees in underwriting, operations and IT. She sets a new standard for excellence by focusing on efficiency, accessibility and service. Wilner strives to make the lending process easier and more friendly for mortgage brokers and borrowers nationwide. 

Operationally, UWM made major strides over the past 12 months. Under Wilner’s guidance, it made operational enhancements in 2016 to take its business to another level, improving efficiency and output by 50% over the course of one year. In 2016, UWM produced a company-record $23 billion in loan volume – a 78% year-over-year increase from 2015 – and is on pace to surpass $30 billion in 2017 loan volume. 

Through the first six months of 2017, UWM grew its wholesale market share to 13.3%, while market share through the rest of the industry has declined. The company has been consistently setting new monthly company records for loan submissions and closings over the past 12 months. Over a 12-month period, UWM increased loan production volume by nearly 50%, up to $13.1 billion, and increased the number of closed loans by 33%, up by more than 12,000 loans. 

Wilner has also overseen the roll-out of innovative proprietary tools that proved to be a difference-maker in the industry, including UWM’s custom loan origination system, EASE, as well as the launch of UClose, a self-closing platform that empowers mortgage brokers to go from clear-to-close to closing in just minutes.

What has been your secret to success?

“A crazy strong work ethic and a passion for making each day better than the day before. Most people who give it all they’ve got will look back and truly be amazed by what they were able to accomplish—things they never imagined were possible.”