Board of Directors

Jeff Ishbia is Founder and Board Member of United Wholesale Mortgage. He founded UWM in 1986 and previously served as chairman of UWM. Jeff has over 45 years of experience in the practice of law and serves as the Managing Partner of the law firm Ishbia & Gagleard, P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in transactional, real estate and corporate law. He is also the principal and manager of various operating businesses, including enterprises in hospitality, home security, title, insurance, auto parts manufacturing and the financial sector. In addition, Jeff owns and actively manages prime retail and office space in southeastern Michigan. In 2013, he was recognized by Ernst and Young as the Michigan/Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mat Ishbia is Chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage. He has served as UWM’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 2013. Mat joined the company in 2003 and has held multiple positions leading up to his current role, including Account Executive, National Sales Manager and Executive Vice President, Wholesale. Under Mat’s leadership, UWM has soared to new heights, becoming one of the most innovative lenders in the industry. Mat is known as a prominent advocate for mortgage brokers nationwide and regularly promotes the wholesale channel on national platforms such as CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV. Most recently, he received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 award. Mat was also named one of the “Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40” and one of the “25 Most Connected Mortgage Professionals” by National Mortgage Professional magazine. Other accolades include being named a “Rising Star” and Vanguard Award winner by HousingWire. In 2019, Mat wrote the book Running the Corporate Offense, applying lessons he learned playing basketball for Michigan State University coach Tom Izzo to running a highly successful business. Mat earned his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Justin is a Founding Partner of Shore Capital, a microcap private equity firm focused on partnering with companies that have between $1-10 million of EBITDA. Justin is responsible for investment sourcing and valuation, transaction structuring, the securing of acquisition financing, fundraising and all administrative activities. Justin sits on the board of directors of several Shore Capital portfolio companies. Outside of the office, Justin is member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and Rush University Medical Center Board of Trustees, and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Justin received his Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School. Justin earned a Certificate of Law and Business from the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.A. in Accounting from Michigan State University. Justin is a member of the State Bar of Illinois and a Certified Public Accountant.

Isiah Thomas serves as a Class II member of the Post-Combination Company’s Board. As Chairman and CEO of Isiah International LLC, an investment holdings company, Isiah is also the owner of five companies: Isiah Real Estate, a development firm specializing in commercial properties; Isiah Imports, a champagne imports company, private equity and asset management firm; Isiah Hemp and Cannabis Products, a hemp and cannabis product company; and GRE3N, a utility vegetation management & pipeline / utility management company. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of One World Pharma, Inc. since June 2020, a Director of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. since April 2012 and a Commentator and Analyst for NBA TV since 2014 and Turner Sports since 2012. He previously served as the President & Alternate Governor of the New York Liberty in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA); the Head Basketball Coach at Florida International University; the General Manager, President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the New York Knicks of the NBA; the Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers of the NBA; the Owner of the Continental Basketball Association; Minority Owner & Executive Vice President of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA; and point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. Isiah earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his Master’s degree from UC Berkeley.

Kelly Czubak serves as a Class I member of the Post-Combination Company’s Board. Kelly has been Assistant Vice President of First National Bank of America since April 2011, focusing on whole loan acquisitions. She originally joined First National Bank of America in June 2005 as a residential loan officer. In her current role, she specializes in growing the bank’s portfolio through developing and maintaining relationships with multiple brokers and institutions. Prior to her time at First National Bank of America, Kelly spent three years as an annuity specialist for Jackson National Life Insurance Company. She received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Robert Verdun is a Class III member of the Post-Combination Company’s Board. He is the Founder, President and CEO of Computerized Facility Integration, LLC (CFI), a leading facilities management consulting and technology services provider. Robert specializes in helping businesses with their go-to market/growth strategies and maximize shareholder value. He has been involved in dozens of M&A transactions, advising company owners on strategies for growth, acquisitions, mergers and capital raises. Under Robert’s leadership, CFI won Inc. Magazine’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies” award for five consecutive years. CFI has also won awards as an Employer of Choice, Companies to Watch, Best and Brightest, Great Place to Work, and more. Robert received his Master’s Degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Alex Elezaj is UWM’s Chief Strategy Officer, a role in which he is laser focused on growing the mortgage broker channel as a whole. Prior to joining the company in 2018, Alex served as Chief Executive Officer of Class Appraisal, Inc, which he led to become one of the nation’s largest and most successful appraisal management companies. In 2018, Alex led the sale of the company to private equity, which has continued to be a great success. He is a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard award winner, a member of the YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and has been recognized as one of National Mortgage Professional magazine’s “40 Under 40.” Alex received a bachelor’s degree from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, and an MBA from Michigan State University.

Melinda Wilner is UWM’s Chief Operating Officer, a position she has held since 2015. In this role, she leads over 5,000 team members in underwriting and operations, where she sets a new standard for excellence by focusing on efficiency, accessibility and service. Melinda works in lockstep with IT and oversees the largest collective group of teams at UWM, where she constantly strives to streamline the lending process for mortgage brokers and borrowers nationwide. Melinda originally joined UWM in 2011 as Underwriting Manager and has held positions including Head of Underwriting and Chief Risk Officer. She was most recently recognized as one of Crain’s 2021 Notable Women in Banking, and was a HousingWire Vanguard award winner in 2017. She received a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

Laura Lawson is UWM’s Chief People Officer. She is the company’s team builder and culture creator who focuses on maximizing the potential of team members. In her role, she works to develop an environment with team members as the sole focus and has an unwavering commitment to maintaining UWM’s prized workplace culture. Laura has been with the company since 2011 and served as SVP of Marketing before becoming UWM’s Chief People Officer in 2014. Prior to joining the company, Laura was the Director of Marketing and Communications for the American Lung Association, Associate Producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Associate Producer for Fox Television and Project Manager for Carlson Marketing Group. She was named one of the “Top 40 under 40” by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2013. Laura received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.