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In April, Dan Vessely retired as president of Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corporation, bringing to a close a successful career that spanned 43 years. Taking over as the next IBMC president is Bob Hartwig, whose career began as a mortgage lender before attending law school and working as a lobbyist at the state Capitol for the Iowa Bankers Association. Now he returns to the mortgage industry as head of IBMC.
Do you feel like your career is coming full circle now as you take the reins of IBMC?
In a crazy way I guess it has, but what a journey it has been to come full circle as you say back to the residential mortgage business.
How does your time working at the Capitol give you an advantage as you lead a team of nearly 100 employees?
At the statehouse, you learn that even though there are many different views and perspectives from policymakers, everyone serving in the Legislature is trying to help make Iowa a better place to live and work, so everyone’s opinions and viewpoints should be respected. ... In my role now, I am looking at the bigger picture of giving our banks the best products and services we can while providing a positive and productive environment for our employees.
What impressed you the most about IBMC when you transitioned to working as its in-house general counsel in 2019?
Our commitment in production and servicing to provide a superior outlet for secondary market access to our banks and taking care of their customers with our servicing expertise, while doing things the “right” way from a legal and compliance standpoint.
What can you say about Dan Vessely’s impact on IBMC, and how will his tenure with the company influence you as IBMC’s new leader?
First, Dan Vessely is IBMC. ... One of my favorite sayings is, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I watch Dan live this quote every day, and how much respect he carries with our staff and bankers. I can’t expect to walk in on day one and be Dan strictly from his subject matter expertise on running a wholesale mortgage operation, but I have a good understanding of the culture, work ethic and talent we have at IBMC for a base to grow and “lead my own way” so to speak.
What does the future look like for IBMC? What can lenders and customers expect under your leadership?
No. 1: They can expect a steady hand, as we are not going to fix what is not broken. Our banks can also expect more outreach from me from a sales and marketing standpoint, as I intend to leverage my relationship with our members to tell our story at IBMC to serve as many banks as we possibly can.
No. 2: Our expansion into surrounding states, particularly in regards to our partnership with Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and the Mortgage Partnership Finance program has been important, but what is best for Iowa banks will always be at the forefront of discussions of any new programs or initiatives we may entertain in the future.
If you have questions for Bob Hartwig, you can reach him at 800-532-1423 or rhartwig@ibmc.com.
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