Academy Mortgage promotes COO to president

Academy Mortgage has elevated Kristi Pickering (pictured), formerly chief operations officer, to president as part of the company’s growth strategy plan.

The Utah-based lender said that the move will give Academy CEO Mac Pherson more capacity to focus on growth opportunities while Pickering concentrates on the day-to-day operations of the organization. Additionally, Pickering will work closely with the executive team to implement the company’s strategies and optimize efficiencies “to streamline the way Academy Mortgage does business.”

Pickering joined the company in 2019 as chief operations officer. She is credited for developing a dynamic operations team, expanding Academy’s technology landscape, and implementing several operational process improvements. Before Academy Mortgage, Pickering served as senior vice president of national retail operations at Caliber Home Loans. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Bank of America Home Loans.