It’s official! Jeff McGuiness, our President & CEO, has been named a recipient of HousingWire’s 2025 Vanguard Awards program.
This prestigious honor celebrates some of the best leaders in mortgage lending and real estate. Each honoree is a C-level professional who has contributed in meaningful ways to their own company and the mortgage lending industry as a whole.
When we heard the news, we weren’t surprised the least bit. After all, Jeff is known for the way he brings people together, fosters their unique talents, inspires creative solutions in the workplace, and contributes to the overall vision of the organization.
Here at Waterstone Mortgage, Jeff’s team members value his transparency, approachability, and trustworthiness. Not to mention… he’s a highly respected leader who excels in talent development, strategic organizational growth, and the ability to lead with integrity and purpose.
Why Jeff McGuiness Is a Vanguard in the Mortgage Industry
There’s no doubt: Jeff’s contribution to our organization has been considerable. Here’s what one of his colleagues had to say about his achievements:
“Jeff has been instrumental in Waterstone Mortgage’s evolution. He’s elevated expectations across all departments, creating a culture of accountability that has resulted in stronger performance metrics across the board. He’s unified the organization in a way that drives results, balancing sales goals with operational realities to deliver both profitability and exceptional service. More than metrics, though, Jeff has built a leadership culture that pushes people to grow, and that impact is immeasurable.”
Speaking of leadership, Jeff also embodies the traits of a true leader: one who inspires his team members, leads with dignity, and fosters the strengths of each person he works with. A Waterstone Mortgage executive team member had this to say about Jeff:
“From a leadership perspective, Jeff is fantastic at bringing the team together, gathering and recruiting excellent personnel, and letting them do their jobs. He fosters a collaborative work environment amongst the team. In fact, I have worked on many leadership groups, and this is the most supportive group that I have experienced.”
Jeff also encourages a culture of transparency at Waterstone Mortgage because, as he says, “People aren’t our most important asset. The right people are our most important asset.” With this in mind, he values the ideas and suggestions of each employee. Another team member describes him this way:
“Jeff leads the company with integrity and honesty, along with embracing a culture of creativity and collaboration — always encouraging every employee to provide feedback and ideas on how improvements can be made.”
And Jeff’s impact goes beyond Waterstone Mortgage; he is highly respected and admired by many in our industry. As another colleague described:
“Jeff is a leading industry veteran who has made a tremendous impression on mortgage lending through the companies he has led and the people he has impacted… What makes his leadership so unique is that he does all of this with humility and a selfless commitment to help our industry and those who are a part of it.”
As we know, every great leader gets their start somewhere. For Jeff, the mortgage industry has always been “home,” but it hasn’t always been an easy ride…
35+ Years of Experience in the Mortgage Industry
Jeff has been part of the mortgage industry for more than 35 years, so he knows a thing or two about the home loan process. When he was fresh out of college, Jeff had a mentor who worked for Norwest Bank, so he applied for a position with the bank's mortgage company, Norwest Mortgage (which merged with Wells Fargo & Company in 1998). Jeff was hired at Norwest Mortgage and began building his industry knowledge through various roles.
At the time, Jeff was impressed with Norwest Mortgage’s company culture, which had a down-to-earth, friendly, Midwestern vibe. He started out as a loan officer assistant before becoming a loan originator. Throughout the years, he followed various sales management and business management paths, which led him to companies such as Citibank, Lehman Brothers, and Lenders One.
At Citibank, Jeff managed the retail and correspondent lending businesses. After a successful career there, he moved on to managing both the mortgage and the bank sides of Lehman Brothers; ultimately, both parts of the business were successfully sold off. Jeff then served as the CEO for both Lenders One and its parent company, Altisource Fulfillment, before joining Waterstone Mortgage as President & CEO in November 2020.
Here at Waterstone Mortgage, Jeff inspires his colleagues and team members daily.
“I’m grateful that we have an extraordinary team of talented professionals committed to our customers, each other, and the organization,” he says. “I’m thankful that I’m the one lucky enough to be our leader and that I get to experience each day with our Waterstone team — the good and the bad, the victories and the losses. We take the time to celebrate our victories and understand that, even when there are losses, our victories far outnumber them.”
Passion for Homeownership & Community
For Jeff, homeownership is an important part of his professional life and personal life. “When it comes to being a homeowner, I enjoy the ability to make my home my ‘own.’ Homeownership is a great way to express your values and what’s important to you,” he says. “It’s also about making memories with your family and friends.”
“Home” has been a key place for Jeff and his wife of 35+ years. Together, they have two adult sons and two dogs. Jeff’s interests include golf and cars (if it has an engine and wheels, he’s hooked). He and his wife also enjoy traveling all over the country, but their favorite destination is Grand Caymen. While he’s based in St. Louis, Jeff also owns a home in Arizona, where he loves spending time with his family.
Jeff is an avid supporter of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, based in Maryland Heights, Missouri. He served on the board of directors for the hospital for 10+ years. Unlike most children’s hospitals, which focus on care for acute situations, Ranken Jordan specializes in treatments for children with long-term care and rehabilitation needs.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Mortgage Lending
As the leader of our organization, Jeff plays a crucial role in shaping our vision and direction. So we thought we’d ask him: what are the main opportunities and challenges facing the mortgage industry today?
“There is a misconception that people aren’t interested in buying homes, and that’s not true,” Jeff says. “Life events, such as marriages and kids, continue to drive the need for homebuying decisions. People still need mortgages — it’s just a matter of finding unique, innovative home loan solutions that fit a certain homebuyer with a highly specific set of needs and goals.”
We also wondered what we, as mortgage professionals, could do to ensure that we are providing the best experience possible for our customers. Jeff shared his insight: “As a talent business with elite mortgage professionals, we need to be creative and forward-thinking when it comes to our products and how they can ultimately help people in distinct situations reach their long-term goals,” he says.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! That’s why we’re glad to have Jeff at the helm. Together with all our amazing team members at Waterstone Mortgage, we are making homeownership dreams come true — one loan at a time.
Congratulations, Jeff, on being named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner!
