Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Additional Information
Timeline
Christopher M. Saak

Christopher M. Saak

Product Owner
St. Louis,MO

Summary

Self-motivated and proven leader successful in identifying viable opportunities for process improvement and digital innovation within the home lending space. Background in increasing profits, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction. Experienced in leading and supervising agile product teams. Over 15 years of experience in the mortgage industry.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Product Owner / Vice President

US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2018 - Current
  • Manages agile product team responsible for developing and maintaining digital customer experiences supporting all mortgage and home equity real estate secured lending products.
  • Oversees delivery of features for multiple, distinct workstreams in accordance with the team's roadmap ensuring that intended functionality and scope are delivered on time.
  • Analyzes customer feedback, user behavior, and market trends to prioritize the product team's backlog which supports the overall vision and digital strategy as outlined by senior leadership.
  • Collaborates with other product owners and project teams supporting home mortgage to identify dependencies and ensure strategic initiatives align across roadmaps.
  • Partners with finance to identify future opportunities for revenue growth and expense savings.
  • Performs cost/benefit analysis as needed to help prioritize initiatives and to measure effectiveness and ROI of in-market features.
  • Ensures team has applicable reporting and target KPIs in place to measure feature adoption, performance, and effectiveness post-implementation.
  • Directs internal marketing, communication, and training campaigns aimed at socializing and promoting upcoming product enhancements within sales, operations, and fulfillment user communities.
  • Manages several strategic vendor relationships. Participates in regular risk assessment audits and facilitates contract reviews and negotiations as necessary.

Business Analyst / Officer

US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2014 - 01.2018
  • Analyzed source data to identify opportunities for systems and process improvements. Presented findings and recommendations to senior leadership for prioritization.
  • Lead several discretionary and non-discretionary projects. Provided regular updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders regarding project status and risks.
  • Acted as liaison between key stakeholders and development and delivery teams ensuring business needs were met.
  • Responsible for writing detailed requirements and acceptance criteria for strategic initiatives both large and small.
  • Assisted with quality assurance testing.
  • Facilitated regular legal, risk, and compliance reviews with the second and third lines of defense.
  • Collaborated with project managers and executive leadership to ensure project objectives and desired scope were delivered on time and within budget.

Change Adoption Agent / Technical Writer

US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2010 - 01.2014
  • Applied thorough understanding of systems analysis, programming, and operating systems to develop, update and maintain technical documentation for internal users.
  • Analyzed business requirements documents and coordinated with project managers, business analysts, developers, testers, and business line representatives to determine applicable information needed to create quality documentation within specified timelines.
  • Actively participated in the development of technical services documentation standards and ensured that documentation styles consistently adhered to those standards.
  • Provided consulting services for departmental and divisional communications, and was responsible for the content and accuracy of procedure manuals, reference manuals, training materials, software bulletins, and online help.

Education

CBA - Executive Banking School

Furman University, Greenville, SC
2024

Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Marketing

University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
2005

Skills

  • Product development
  • Financial management and forecasting
  • Cost / benefit analysis
  • Staff / team management
  • Vendor relationship management
  • Contract negotiation expertise
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Agile methodology
  • Problem solving
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office products

Accomplishments

  • Increased average number of loan applications “ready to close in 7 days” by 50% (based on Q1 2023 data).
  • Achieved 10% average increase in pull through on applications when data aggregation and validation services utilized (based on Q1 2023 data).
  • Achieved 14-day average improvement in cycle time on applications when data aggregation and validation services utilized (based on Q1 2023 data).
  • Increased utilization of digital closings by 75% (based on Q1 2023 data).
  • Redesigned loan application intake logic which is currently projected to reduce annual vendor expense associated with the ordering of upfront credit, income, and employment reports by $2.9MM annually (implemented Q2 2023).
  • Increased mortgage digital portal customer satisfaction by 4% in 2022 (based on Q1 2022 and 2023 data).
  • Increased home equity digital portal customer satisfaction by 18% in 2022 (based on Q1 2022 and 2023 data).
  • Achieved 99% digital portal adoption rate across all mortgage and home equity loan applications (2022). Implemented upfront fee collection automation which resulted in $1.46MM annual benefit for operations (based on 2022 data).
  • Collaborated with Blend Labs to co-build digital pre-qualification experiences for both mortgage and home equity which provide customers with upfront transparency and certainty regarding their potential to qualify for financing prior to application (implemented 2022).
  • Identified opportunity to centralize the ordering of income and employment verification services which reduced vendor costs by $50 per application (2022).
  • Reduced print and mail costs associated with disclosure delivery by 20% (based on 2022 data).
  • Pilot participant in Fannie Mae Positive Rent Payment History Program which has helped over 150 first time homebuyers obtain underwriting approval for a mortgage using rental history as a basis for qualifying (2021).
  • Enhanced application pre-fill capabilities. ~40% of the digital application can be pre-filled for existing U.S. Bank customers (2020).
  • Implemented robust suite of digital tools and capabilities for loan officers and loan assistants increasing sales efficiencies and reducing risk through consistent and standard processes (2019 – 2023).
  • Early adopter of Fannie Mae Day One Certainty (D1C) and Single Source Validation (SSV) services (2018).

Additional Information

  • U.S Bank named “excellent for loan offerings and tech-forward convenience” (Nerd Wallet, 2022).
  • U.S. Bank rated “best digital capabilities and tools among mortgage lenders” (Kiplinger, 2021 & 2020).
  • First mortgage lender with in-market technology which automatically validates customers' income, assets, and creditworthiness at time of application (HousingWire, 2019).
  • U.S. Bank Legends of Possible award recipient (2019).

Timeline

Product Owner / Vice President - US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2018 - Current
Business Analyst / Officer - US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2014 - 01.2018
Change Adoption Agent / Technical Writer - US Bank Home Mortgage
01.2010 - 01.2014
Furman University - CBA, Executive Banking School
University of Missouri - Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Marketing

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Christopher M. SaakProduct Owner