Privately held mortgage lender and servicer Planet Financial Group announced on Thursday that Michael Kula, has joined the company as its chief operating officer.

Kula’s experience includes 30 years in leadership and management positions within mortgage businesses. As COO, Kula will be responsible for coordinating the execution of Planet Home Lending’s strategy plans and initiatives across its diverse business lines, the company said. 

“The company is extraordinarily lucky to have someone with Kula’s wide-ranging experience across all facets of our business,” said Planet Home Lending CEO and President Michael Dubeck. “Kula’s diverse experience at the highest levels gives us an advantage few of our competitors can match.”

Most recently, Kula served as a division president at ServiceLink, where he led the company’s title and origination businesses. As division president, Kula’s focus included optimizing the integration of acquisitions, enhancing business margins, improving customer service and increasing operational productivity.

Before his role at ServiceLink, Kula was the global managing director of mortgage business development at IBM. While there, he improved IBM's global mortgage strategy by analyzing key market and client opportunities, further leveraging assets and analytics, providing consultative services and expanding key industry relationships.

Kula has also previously held roles at Bank of America, Wachovia, Washington Mutual, Mellon Mortgage (now JPMorgan Chase) and Lloyds Banking Group.