Our SVP – Marketing & Communications has received HousingWire's prestigious award for female leaders in the mortgage lending industry
We are ecstatic! Lisa Fenske (SVP – Marketing & Communications) has been named one of HousingWire Magazine’s “Women of Influence” for 2020!
Lisa was chosen for this honor by a panel of HousingWire editors for her achievements at Waterstone Mortgage, contributions to the mortgage industry, community outreach, client impact, and personal success – particularly in the last 12 months. She was one of hundreds of candidates considered for the award, and is among 99 other women who received this national recognition.
“This year’s Women of Influence represent leaders who have faced some of the most unprecedented challenges the housing industry has seen in years,” HousingWire Editor Kelsey Ramírez said. “Their strength set an example of leadership that impacted not just their teams or companies but the industry overall. This was one of the most competitive years we have ever seen for the award…”
Lisa joined Waterstone Mortgage when the mortgage lending industry was still knee-deep in the fallout of the 2008 real estate crash. It wasn’t an easy time to be a mortgage lender, as many homeowners were struggling with underwater mortgages or were living in fear of losing their homes; and those who didn’t own a home had little desire to start down that path. At that time, developing engaging and persuasive content to encourage people to pursue homeownership was a tough task.
So, although Lisa was met with challenges from the start, she rose to the occasion. During her time at Waterstone Mortgage, she has already doubled the size of the Marketing Department. She also currently manages the Training and Corporate Support teams, and oversees many enterprise-level projects for the company.
Lisa is also an exceptional manager. She has the skill of finding the best in each of her employees, and encouraging them to continue developing those talents. She trusts her team and has total confidence in their abilities. In addition, she makes sure her employees feel valued and encouraged in their professional environment.
This spring, the unique circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic presented a significant challenge for Lisa and the Waterstone Mortgage Executive Team, as they oversaw the employees’ abrupt transition to an almost exclusively work-from-home environment.
At that time, communication within the company became even more critical. During the first two months of the pandemic, Lisa and the Marketing & Communications team increased their total number of company emails by 49.5% (as compared to the two-month period immediately preceding the pandemic).
In collaboration with the Human Resources team, Lisa also launched the “Health & Wellness During COVID” email series for Waterstone Mortgage employees, which included topics such as working effectively from home, healthy sleep and eating habits during a crisis, staying active while working at home, taking care of your mental health during a crisis, and tips for leaders who are managing their teams remotely.
All of this is to say: Lisa and her team did an exceptional job of keeping our employees updated and engaged throughout an extended work-from-home period.
And, that’s not all!
In July 2019, Lisa was named a Milwaukee Business Journal "Chief Marketing Officer of the Year.” This award acknowledges those who have made a significant and ongoing impact on their company, their industry, and the marketing profession as a whole. This is an impressive achievement that is awarded to an elite group of senior marketing officers in southeastern Wisconsin.
Lisa has more than 20 years of experience in marketing; nine of these have been with Waterstone Mortgage. She has her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and earned her Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) certification from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s School of Mortgage Banking in June 2019.
We are honored to have such a valuable, kind, smart, and forward-thinking professional on our Waterstone Mortgage leadership team. Congratulations, Lisa!
