Our Partnership Group

Mary Ann McGarry, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Ms. McGarry has been a member of Guild’s Board of Directors since 1988. Ms. McGarry leads the development and execution of the company’s strategic plans and objectives and directs all corporate and subsidiary operations. Ms. McGarry, who began her career with Guild in 1984, has been one of the driving forces in formulating and executing Guild’s financial, operational and technology strategies. She began as a supervisor in Internal Audit and within 3 years was Senior Vice President of Loan Administration and Information Technology. She reorganized the Loan Administration Division and led the development and creation of the proprietary servicing software. She continued developing software applications to increase operational and financial efficiencies as she held a number of other executive positions: Chief Financial Officer, Chief Production Operations Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Guild, Ms. McGarry was employed by the public accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell. She is a Certified Public Accountant and serves on the Board of Governors and the Investment Committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association, the FNMA Advisory Council and the Countrywide National Advisory Council. Ms. McGarry received a B.B.A. degree in Accounting with a minor in Computer Science in 1980 from the University of San Diego.

Terry Schmidt, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Ms. Schmidt has been a member of Guild’s Board of Directors since 2006. Ms. Schmidt joined the company in 1985. She is responsible for the financial and investor reporting, budgeting, cash management, warehouse lending and human resource functions. Over the years she has performed system innovations and conversions related to her areas of responsibility, developed value added branch metrics, and designed a proprietary MSR valuation and impairment model. Ms. Schmidt started her career in Internal Audit, performing branch audits and various compliance audits related to servicing, secondary marketing and loan origination. She continues to play a fundamental role in developing the Company business strategy. Her range of versatility extends from the financial aspects of the business to product development, advertising, and systems design. Ms. Schmidt is a graduate of the University of San Diego in 1984 with a B.B.A. in Accounting and has earned the following professional certifications: Certified Public Accountant candidate (CPA, 1989); Certified Financial Professional (CFP, 1992); and Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB, 2005). Ms. Schmidt is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association Financial Management Committee.

Catherine Blocker, Production Operations Senior Vice President.
Ms. Blocker joined Guild in 1998 with a background rooted in both wholesale and retail sales and operations at Weyerhaeuser Mortgage Company beginning in 1977. In her first two years with the Company, she was promoted to Vice President with responsibilities for Production Training. In 2001, as head of Production Operations, Ms. Blocker also assumed the leadership of Underwriting and the Branch Operations Service Center. She was instrumental in reshaping the corporate culture, and communicating the philosophy of a reorganization that proved extremely beneficial to company operations. Ms. Blocker’s tenacity in assisting branches to close loans has permeated throughout all of operations. She delicately balances prudent underwriting and effective customer service. Ms. Blocker graduated from San Diego State University in 1980 with a B.A. in English.

Steve Hops, Retail Production Senior Vice President.
Mr. Hops came to Guild in 1994 with 18 years of experience in mortgage banking. He started as a loan officer and became branch manager for the Hammond Company’s San Diego office. From 1985 through 1994, he was regional manager for Weyerhaeuser Mortgage Company. He began with Guild as Regional Manager responsible for production, quality, and profitability of 12 branches. In 1996, Mr. Hops assumed responsibility for all retail and wholesale production, and has led the recruiting efforts for the Company. Mr. Hops is in constant contact with branch managers and is their voice as an integral member of Guild’s product development committee. Mr. Hops attended San Diego State University. He is broker of record for Guild and has served on the Board for the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA), where he is currently President/Residential.

Rhona Kaninau, Loan Administration Senior Vice President.
Ms. Kaninau joined the company in 1985 and is responsible for the overall operations of Loan Administration, managing bulk acquisition and sale of servicing as well as portfolio retention strategies. Ms. Kaninau was the project coordinator in the design and implementation of an Interactive Voice Response system and streamlined refinance program to increase portfolio retention levels. Prior to coming to Guild, Ms. Kaninau worked for Bank of America in retail branch operations for 12 years. She is able to adjust to the needs of an ever-changing portfolio and maintain high service levels and low costs per loan. From the time of her start in 1985, the Company recognized her ability to organize, problem-solve, and effectively execute company objectives. Ms. Kaninau is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association Loan Administration Committee and the Diversity Task Force.

Mike Rish, Secondary Marketing Senior Vice President.
Mr. Rish joined the Company in 1986. He started his mortgage training in Internal Audit, performing branch and investor compliance audits and was soon elevated to a position in Secondary Marketing. Mr. Rish has managed all aspects of the secondary marketing function to include branch and investor commitments, pipeline and inventory hedging and agency securitizations. He facilitated the design of Guild’s proprietary hedging model. Mr. Rish is an integral part of product development and designed various tools to facilitate the loan origination process such as the Company’s electronic loan finder and web based loan lock systems. He is in constant communication with branch originators and investors to expand Guild’s product offerings and maintain competitive pricing. Mr. Rish is a graduate of the University of San Diego in 1984 with a B.B.A. in Accounting with an emphasis in Computer Science.

Linda Scott, Vice President of Technology and Software Development.
Linda Scott oversees the Company’s core business systems, infrastructure and services. She led the Information Technology area through key growth stages and provides leadership and project management in support of all Guild systems. Starting in software development in 1985 as a programmer analyst, Ms. Scott worked on a wide range of mission critical applications. She led the efforts on EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), the Year 2000 Project, web development, and many hardware and software upgrades. She is responsible for system integrity and security. Ms. Scott plays a central role in driving the strategy relative to product and services technology, architecture and infrastructure with a focus on improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. She and her development and support teams maintain all information processing services and products and evaluate new technology. Ms. Scott and her teams ensure high availability, software implementation, integration, and technical support. Ms. Scott is a graduate of Coleman College with honors in software development.

Theresa Cherry, Retail Production Vice President.
Ms. Cherry began her career with Guild in 1989 in loan servicing and has held diverse management positions in her 17 years with the Company. She is recognized as a leading presence at Guild, versatile and dynamic, with a well-rounded industry knowledge, including inside and outside sales. She started in servicing and within three years migrated to production where she held a number of positions, including department supervisor in Direct Lending and account manager in Wholesale. She was elevated to Vice President in 1997 while serving as default manager in the Company’s Foreclosure department. She later returned to production management responsibilities in Direct Lending, then in Guild’s Branch Operations Service Center, and, beginning in 2001, in Corporate Loan Production where she assumed responsibilities in managing and recruiting branches. Ms. Cherry is a key member of the Guild production management team and product development committee, in ongoing communication with branch managers throughout the Company. She has helped guide the design of web-accessible systems based on her extensive experience working with branch managers and as a loan officer direct to consumer. Ms. Cherry received a B.B.A degree in 1987 from the University of San Diego.