For five days in April 2009, Captain Richard Phillips became the center of an extraordinary international drama when he was captured by Somali pirates who attacked and boarded his ship.

The hostage began on Wednesday, April 8, when a small band of pirates swung a ladder from their skiff onto the Maersk Alabama, a container ship ferrying food aid to East Africa. With the pirates firing at the vessel’s bridge as they climbed aboard the ship, many of the crew members scrambled into a designated safe room aboard the vessel.

On the bridge, the pirates held three and then four sailors at gunpoint, but the crew of 18 outnumbered the four attackers. The crew managed to take the leader of the pirates hostage, wounding him in the hand with a knife and regained control. The crew demanded the other pirates leave the ship, But the pirates had scuttled their own small boat. They demanded an escape boat, fuel, and food.

To protect his crew, Captain Phillips made a conscious decision to put himself directly in harm's way, knowing full well that he might pay the ultimate price for his decision. Amid the standoff, he offered himself as a hostage to get them off the Maersk Alabama.

Once the pirates settled into one of the ship's covered lifeboats, the crew attempted to trade the pirate they had captured for Captain Phillips. After they released their captive, the pirates refused to honor the agreement and fled with Captain Phillips. Held hostage as a human shield in a small lifeboat with three pirates, he had little to hope for or cling to—except the knowledge that he had done absolutely everything he could to save the lives of the 18 sailors aboard his ship.

The U.S. Navy responded to the scene, and negotiations were ongoing between the pirates and the captain of the USS Bainbridge. On Friday, April 10, Captain Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat and managed to swim toward the nearby destroyer,

but the pirates went in after him and managed to haul him back in. The standoff dragged on until April 12, when Navy SEAL snipers saw one of the pirates aim his AK-47 machine gun at Capt. Richard Phillips's back and concluded he was in “imminent danger.”

On that Sunday morning, Navy SEAL snipers took three remarkable shots and hit the three captors holding Captain Phillips. Within minutes, rescuers were on scene and Phillips was rescued off the lifeboat, and the three pirates were dead. They then freed Captain Phillips, ending the sea drama that had gathered much of the world’s attention for many days.

President Barack Obama, who spoke with Captain Phillips by phone after he was freed, said, "I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans."

Captain Phillips is the author of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirate, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, the story of his experience and his remarkable rescue. This dramatic story is also being made into a motion picture by Columbia Pictures.

Captain Phillips is a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a member of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Union, and a licensed American merchant mariner. He became Captain of the MV Maersk Alabama in 2008. Captain Phillips married Andrea Coggio in 1987. They have two children, Mariah and Danny, and reside in Underhill, Vt.

Laura Escobar, 2025 MBA Chair
President, Lennar Mortgage

Laura Escobar is a 35-year real estate finance industry veteran who has held leadership positions with both bank-owned and independent mortgage companies overseeing all aspects of mortgage banking. Since 2018, she has been President of Lennar Mortgage, the mortgage lending subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, leading a team of more than 1,650 associates in 34 locations across 28 states. Escobar joined Lennar Mortgage in 2002 as Branch Manager; in 2004, she was promoted to Senior Vice President managing the Eastern Region; and in 2016, she became Executive Vice President, overseeing operations and production of the company's Builder Division. 

Escobar currently serves on several advisory boards and committees, including MBA’s 2022-2023 Board of Directors. She is also a member of the MORPAC Steering Committee; Fannie Mae AHAC; Freddie Mac Advisory Board; NAHREP; NAMMBA Visionary Ambassador; and United Way’s chapter – Women United.  

Passionate about “Paying It Forward,” Escobar is on the MBA Opens Doors Foundation’s Board of Directors and is very active in her local community in South Florida, showing support and volunteering through organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. She is also a licensed mental health counselor and devotes much of her time working with underprivileged women and minorities. 

Mike Brown

Chief Revennue Officer

Mike Brown is a highly accomplished revenue and sales leader with a robust career spanning over two decades in the financial technology and mortgage industries. Currently serving as the Chief Revenue Officer at Gateless, Inc., he has consistently demonstrated his ability to drive significant growth and client satisfaction.

Prior to his current endeavors, Mike held various influential positions at Black Knight for over five years, including Senior Managing Director - Origination Sales and Account Management, where he was instrumental in cross-selling products and developing enterprise strategies. Earlier in his career, Mike built sales and marketing organizations at companies like Lender Price and Mercury Network, LLC, and successfully managed sales for valuations and title groups at Assurant Valuations. His foundational experience at RealEC Technologies as a Senior Vice President, underscores his long-standing capability in driving emerging technology adoption and securing major deals with financial institutions.

Mike's expertise encompasses a broad range of strategic and operational skills, including sales management, business strategy, SaaS, and direct sales, all leveraged to achieve impressive revenue targets and expand market share. Mike is a lifelong resident of Manasquan, NJ where he resides with his wife and two children. 

Robbie Chrisman

Robbie Chrisman hosts the daily podcast, writes the capital markets section of the Daily Commentary, coordinates and hosts video shows. He began his mortgage career with internships at companies like Residential Pacific Mortgage and Bay Equity, later joining SoFi as Director of Capital Markets after graduating from The University of Texas. He then held roles at TMS, Riivos, and MCT.

Rob Chrisman
Stratmor Group

Rob Chrisman began his career in mortgage banking – primarily capital markets – 39 years ago in 1985 with First California Mortgage, assisting in Secondary Marketing until 1988, when he joined Tuttle & Co., a leading mortgage pipeline risk management firm. He was an account manager and partner at Tuttle & Co. until 1996, when he moved to Scotland with his family for 9 months.

He returned to the United States in mid-1997 and ran Secondary for Standard Financial, a sub-prime lender in northern California. In late 1997 Rob was hired by CrossLand Mortgage to start, and be the president of, a sub-prime company named OnCall Mortgage (a division of CrossLand). OnCall Mortgage was in existence until Wells Fargo purchased First Security Bank (the owner of CrossLand) at the end of 2000.

Rob then joined CMG Mortgage, a wholesale mortgage bank, as the Director of Secondary Marketing. In early 2003 and re-joined Tuttle Risk Management Services, Inc. TRMS (now Compass) provides mortgage pipeline risk management for mortgage companies and thrifts that seek to originate and sell loans into the secondary mortgage market. In November of 2006 Rob left TRMS to become the Director of Capital Markets for RPM Mortgage, a retail residential lender you all know, leaving there in late 2008 to focus on not only publishing a widely read daily market commentary on current mortgage events but also on his family.

He is on the board of directors of Inheritance Funding Corporation, a financial services company which advances capital to heirs, of Doorway Home Loans, of AXIS Appraisal Management, and of the California MBA. He is also a member of the Secure Settlements Advisory Board, an associate of the STRATMOR Group, and of the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas and its membership committee. Rob has provided expert witness services for mortgage and real estate-related cases, has lectured to groups around the country.

Chris Bennett, Chairman

Chris Bennett began his career as a trader at the age of 15 in the commodities futures markets, starting with a small stake he had saved up from mowing lawns in the neighborhood. After receiving his degree in economics from the University of Michigan, Chris began a 30-year career in mortgage banking as a trader with a mid-sized bank and later as head of Capital Markets for a nationwide independent mortgage company.

In 2001 he founded the hedge advisory firm Vice Capital Markets, now in its third decade of service to mortgage lenders of all types and sizes across the country. Today, one in every 15 mortgages originated in the US are traded by Vice Capital or hedged using its proprietary software.

Eric Kujala, Vice President

Eric Kujala is a seasoned marketing and sales executive with over 20 years of experience in the mortgage technology industry. As the Vice President of Marketing at ICE Mortgage Technology, he leads the strategic marketing initiatives for the company's full suite of solutions, driving brand growth and industry leadership.

Eric's career in mortgage technology began in 2002 at Flagstar Bank, where he started as a Loan Advisor, originating residential mortgages. He later transitioned into leadership roles within Flagstar’s Direct Lending sales team and its subsidiary, Paperless Office Solutions, Inc., serving as National Sales and Consulting Manager.

In 2013, Eric joined Capsilon following its acquisition of DocVelocity™ from Flagstar Bancorp. At Capsilon, he played a pivotal role in sales, account management, marketing, and business development until the company was acquired by Ellie Mae in 2019. Following the acquisition, he continued to lead marketing efforts at Ellie Mae before its integration into ICE Mortgage Technology.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Marketing Management from the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University. His extensive experience in sales, consulting, and marketing leadership has positioned him as a key influencer in the mortgage technology space.

Steve Richman

https://steverichman.com/

Steve Richman has been called energizing, passionate, practical, fun, creative and smart.  As a nationally recognized presenter he has spoken to more than 750,000 individuals in every state in America.  As a testament to the power of his presentations, over 85% percent of Steve’s presentations are rebookings from those that have previously seen him.

For a quick history about Steve, he is a graduate of The University of Maryland, The George Washington University Law School and is a member of the Maryland State Bar (out of state status).  He has taught Public Speaking at Towson University and Negotiations for the Sellinger Business School’s MBA program and is an adjunct faculty member of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute.  He has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University’s Business School in New York and has presented on Capitol Hill.  He is a certified trainer in DiSC Behavioral Profiling and is a Master Certified Negotiations Trainer. Additionally, he has been a guest on multiple podcasts, radio shows and has published numerous articles and in 2019 and 2024 was named one of the most connected professionals in the mortgage industry by National Mortgage Professional Magazine.

On the personal side, Steve has been luckily married for 31 years (knock on wood), has the greatest son and best daughter in the world and he is an avid golfer and scuba diver.

Brooke Anderson-Tompkins

Founder, CEO

Brooke Anderson-Thompkins is a recognized leader and trusted advisor in the mortgage banking industry. She founded Bridge AIvisory, LLC to help organizations harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with clarity and confidence. She guides clients to adopt Responsible AI practices, from ideation to implementation and beyond. Through education and discovery, she has come to understand that AI isn’t a magic bullet, it is a powerful tool when wielded wisely can revolutionize decision making and drive transformative outcomes. 

As the former Chair of the Community Home Lenders of America (now CHLA), she advocated for fair regulations and homeownership access for all. She has served in an advisory role for Lenders One Cooperative and JP Morgan Chase. As President of 1st Priority Mortgage, Inc. for 15 years, she led the successful affiliated mortgage banking firm and is proud to have helped families achieve their dream of homeownership.

Brian Vieaux, CMB

President & COO

Brian Vieaux, CMB is a 35-year mortgage industry veteran and President of FinLocker, where he helps lenders and loan officers shift from transactional thinking to transformational consumer engagement. Through FinLocker’s financial fitness platform, Brian empowers originators to connect with homebuyers at the point of thought—well before the point of sale—by providing tools that educate, build trust, and create lifelong clients. He is a passionate advocate for fintech innovation, embedded finance, and community-first homeownership strategies.