After a pandemic-induced hiatus, hundreds of mortgage professionals gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre Monday night to celebrate the latest inductees into the Canadian Mortgage Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Mortgage Hall of Fame honours mortgage industry leaders who have provided leadership, vision and inspiration in their profession, and whose achievements and service have contributed to the success of the Canadian mortgage industry.
The evening capped off Mortgage Professionals Canada’s 2022 National Mortgage Conference in Vancouver, and paid tribute to this year’s inductees: Ed Karthaus (Home Trust); John Kelly (VERICO); and Elaine Taylor (Mortage Alliance).
“There are so many people that I would like to thank, and I just simply don’t have time,” said Ed Karthaus, Executive VP of Residential Lending, Credit Cards and Marketing at Home Trust, in a video statement. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have great teams that collaborate.”
Karthaus’s career in financial services, technology and telecommunications spans 34 years, but his time in the mortgage broker industry specifically has been exemplary. He was previously inducted into the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario (now CIMBA) Hall of Fame in 2009 and has earned a place in both the Canadian Mortgage Professionals Hall of Fame and the Mortgage Professional America’s Mortgage Global 100 (2019 and 2020).
At Home Trust, Karthaus brought home the Bank Lender of the Year award for four years in a row, an unprecedented winning streak for any lender.
Karthaus was unable to attend the event in person as he is currently receiving treatment and “fighting the good fight” against pancreatic cancer after receiving his diagnosis in April. In his video statement to the gala, he thanked his colleagues, friends and family for their tireless support.
John Kelly, chief operating officer at VERICO, was also among the 2022 inductees. Among his many achievements, he founded two of Canada’s seven national mortgage brands—CENTUM Canada and VERICO—just three years apart. In the early days of the internet, he also founded an online network of mortgage broker firms.
During his acceptance speech, Kelly pointed out he had spent the majority of his career as a self-employed broker, noting that his success wouldn’t have been possible without the help of friends, family and great mentors at all stages.
“Not everyone succeeds in our industry,” Kelly told the audience. “These failures on the road to success are challenging. They test your confidence and resolve. This is where, if you’re lucky like I was, supportive family, friends, and great mentors make all the difference.”
And Elaine Taylor, recently named President of Mortgage Alliance, was also welcomed into the Hall of Fame. During her four decades in the mortgage industry, most notably as SVP of Strategic Partnerships at MCAP, she has been a three-time recipient of the Canadian Mortgage Professionals’ Woman of Influence, a Mortgage Awards of Excellence (MAE) Company Winner, and a recipient of the Women in the Mortgage Industry (WIMI) Award of Recognition.
“I’m both humbled and honoured to be accepting this award,” she told the crowd.
During her acceptance speech, Taylor thanked all of her colleagues, friends and family for their support, and described the recent appointment of MPC CEO Lauren van den Berg as “another signal of a coming of age for women leaders in our industry.”
2021 inductees honoured
The gala also celebrated inductees from 2021 who were unable to have a night of their own due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They include Marty Coubrough, the founder of One Link Mortgage & Finance, who started as a broker in Manitoba at a time when he said the province’s mortgage industry was nearly non-existent. Eventually, he grew One Link to be the largest brokerage firm in Manitoba. He was described by his daughter, who accepted the award on his behalf, as an incredibly humble man with a firm commitment to broker ethics.
Mark Kerzner, President and CEO of TMG The Mortgage Group, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in honour of the high level of integrity, passion and leadership he has shown throughout the multiple senior-level positions he has held. With two decades in the mortgage industry, and as a past Chair of MPC’s board of directors, Kerzner built his reputation as an industry expert, mentor, and customer advocate, as well as his willingness to give back to the industry.
Finally, Don Stoddart, principal broker of Key Mortgage Partners—the founding company behind Mortgage Architects—was recognized for his 30+ years in the mortgage industry, during which time he sat on numerous lender advisory boards. He was the co-owner of First Provincial Mortgage and one of the founders of super-broker Mortgage Intelligence (MI), which fundamentally changed the makeup of the mortgage broker landscape as Canada’s first ever national mortgage brokerage with a technology focus.