Leadership Profile

Joseph Elias

Principal Consultant · Senior Risk, Compliance & Data LeaderFormer VP, Compliance · Former AML/BSA & Fair Lending Officer · Enterprise Risk · TPRM · GRC · Data & AI GovernanceMore than 14 years across mortgage lending, servicing, and fintech—combining regulatory expertise, enterprise governance, and hands-on data and systems capability.

Currently Principal Consultant · Compliant Mortgage Solutions info@josephelias.info 949.781.0463 LinkedIn Remote · United States
14+ Years Former AML/BSA Officer Former Fair Lending Officer Fed · OCC · FDIC Liaison COSO ERM 13 Certifications
14+
Years in Financial Services
13
Active Certifications
97%
Reduction in OFAC Manual Review Time
53%
Improvement in Internal-Audit Outcomes
~68%
Compliance Operating Cost Reduction
5
Major Institutions
The Brief

A practitioner of regulatory craft — equal parts engineer, officer and strategist.

Joseph Elias is a Principal Consultant and senior risk, compliance, and data leader with more than 14 years of experience across mortgage lending, servicing, fintech, and regulated financial-services operations. He combines regulatory expertise, enterprise risk and governance, and hands-on data and systems capability to build measurable, auditable operating programs.

A former VP, Compliance and designated AML/BSA and Fair Lending Officer, Joseph has led programs spanning financial-crime controls, fair lending, consumer complaints, QWR/NOE workflows, issues management, compliance testing, regulatory reporting, and mortgage licensing. He has served as a primary liaison for mortgage clients in matters involving the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC. His experience includes examinations conducted directly by the CFPB and state regulators at Prospect Mortgage, American Advisors Group, and Finance of America, as well as examination support for mortgage clients through Compliant Mortgage Solutions.

His leadership experience includes a 22-person Risk & Compliance organization, including eight managers, spanning Risk Governance, Regulatory Reporting, Mortgage Licensing, Third-Party Risk Management/Vendor Management, and Corporate Policy. He has reported to C-suite and Board audiences and chaired an Operations Risk & Technology Committee.

Joseph’s servicing experience combines portfolio analytics with compliance support. At Vericrest Financial/Caliber Home Loans, his executive reporting included servicing portfolio trends and forecasts covering foreclosure, loss mitigation, bankruptcy, and projected collections call volume to support staffing, capacity planning, and portfolio management. At American Advisors Group, he supported HECM/reverse-mortgage servicing compliance, subservicer oversight, and default/loss-mitigation compliance.

He brings a builder’s approach to risk and compliance through ERM frameworks, GRC ecosystems, data platforms, quantitative analytics, KPI/KRI reporting, workflow automation, and data/AI-governance operating models. His work connects operational evidence and regulatory expectations with practical systems that strengthen oversight and management visibility.

Leadership Focus

Practical leadership — across risk, governance and data.

  • Enterprise Risk, GRC & Management Reporting
  • AML/BSA, Fair Lending & Regulatory Examinations
  • Third-Party Risk, Vendor Governance & Operational Resilience
  • Mortgage Servicing Analytics, Compliance & Consumer Complaint Governance
  • Data Governance, AI Governance & Quantitative Risk Analytics
Experience

Fourteen years — from portfolio analyst to principal consultant.

Jan 2026 — Present Principal Consultant Remote
· Federal Liaison· ERM & GRC· AI Governance

Compliant Mortgage Solutions

Principal Consultant — Enterprise Data & Risk Strategy

  • Led enterprise regulatory engagement strategy and served as primary liaison for federal examinations with the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC across mortgage clients. Also support clients with CFPB and state regulatory examinations.
  • Developed and executed comprehensive advocacy strategies to influence legislative policy and federal rulemaking, ensuring alignment with long-term business interests and regulatory innovation.
  • Built end-to-end risk management programs using AI-driven analytics, improving risk decision accuracy by 40% and aligning controls with international data-privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA).
  • Led the development of advanced GRC and analytics ecosystems, achieving 53% faster reporting and enhanced data visibility for executive decision-making on average.
  • Directed operational transformation and the development of scalable data platforms to support enterprise-wide AI-driven decision-making, resulting in a 61% reduction in manual tasks.
  • Developed and implemented comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks that integrated data-driven KRI (Key Risk Indicator) monitoring, resulting in a 25% improvement in risk mitigation results.
  • Developed quantitative risk-assessment models to evaluate the impact of emerging regulatory changes and macroeconomic shifts on mortgage operations and data-privacy standards.
  • Led cross-functional risk workshops to align data governance with corporate risk appetite and strengthen adherence to internal and external compliance benchmarks.
  • Designed a centralized risk dashboard that consolidated disparate sources into a single source of truth used in C-suite and Board risk reporting.
  • Conducted Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) / Vendor Management assessments for enterprise clients, identifying and mitigating critical security gaps to reduce overall operational risk by 25%.
Feb 2025 — Dec 2025 VP, Compliance Remote
· AML/BSA Officer· Fair Lending Officer· AI Governance

Finance of America

VP, Compliance · AML/BSA Officer · Fair Lending Officer

  • Designated AML/BSA and Fair Lending Officer; led Compliance across AML/BSA (OFAC review, Fraud Investigations), Fair Lending, Consumer Complaints, Issues Management, Regulatory Reporting, and Compliance Testing & Monitoring; served on the Fair Lending and AI/Data Governance Committees.
  • Served as compliance owner for assigned functions during CFPB and state regulatory examinations, coordinating requests, artifact production, examiner responses, interview preparation, and post-exam remediation through closure.
  • Oversaw consumer-complaint governance across direct, state-regulator, and CFPB Consumer Response Portal channels; established QWR/NOE workflows supporting applicable RESPA response requirements and CFPB portal timeframes; surfaced systemic trends and root-cause findings to Compliance leadership and operational stakeholders.
  • Rebuilt AML/BSA and Fair Lending programs: automated OFAC screening to cut manual review time by 97%, implemented a COSO ERM-aligned risk-assessment process meeting regulator expectations, and built data structures for Fair Lending regression analysis.
  • Shifted Compliance Testing to a risk-based unit; revamped testing scripts and leveraged statistical sampling, increasing testing coverage by 18% and improving operational efficiency.
  • Partnered with Operations to resolve systemic escalations and design scalable operating models that improved cross-functional delivery.
  • Developed Regulatory Reporting database to ensure data consistency, reducing FTE hours by 17% and identifying root causes of LOS and process issues affecting HMDA and MCR.
  • Established formula-based semi-automated Risk Assessments to enhance organizational compliance and data quality.
  • Participated in the AI Task Force to develop enterprise AI strategy and governance frameworks, including ethical AI protocols.
  • Implemented scalable data platform and governance frameworks, reducing data inconsistencies by 24% and increasing retrieval speeds by 21%.
May 2023 — Jan 2025 Strategic Consultant Remote
· COSO ERM· Fair Lending· GRC

Compliant Mortgage Solutions

Strategic Consultant — Compliance & Operational Risk

  • Provided strategic consulting in enterprise risk, IT risk, and governance using the COSO ERM framework, driving strategic data and compliance initiatives for mortgage lenders. Supported clients with CFPB and state regulatory examinations.
  • Built regulatory change management processes for mortgage clients: tracked CFPB, HUD, and state regulatory developments, assessed operational impact, and coordinated cross-functional implementation through effective dates.
  • Led fair lending programs and regulatory filings (NMLS, MCR, HMDA), achieving a 29% improvement in compliance outcomes through advanced regression and steering analyses.
  • Designed controls to address operational gaps, reducing compliance failures by 63%.
  • Developed advanced analytics and GRC systems that improved risk visibility and accelerated regulatory reporting efficiency by 42%.
  • Built statistical sampling methodologies for QC and implemented comprehensive TPRM / Vendor Management programs.
Key Achievements
  • 48% reduction in operational risk exposure via predictive analytics
  • 53% improvement in internal-audit outcomes
  • Approximately 68% reduction in compliance operating costs through automation of manual review and reporting work.
Sep 2017 — Apr 2023 Director, Governance & Reporting Irvine, CA
· Risk & Compliance· Enterprise Data Mart· BCP / DR

American Advisors Group (AAG)

Director of Governance & Reporting (Risk & Compliance)

  • Directed full-lifecycle development of an Enterprise Data Mart and AI-driven GRC framework, providing real-time KPIs/KRIs that reduced operational overhead by 47%.
  • Led a 22-person Risk & Compliance organization, including eight managers, across Risk Governance, Regulatory Reporting, Mortgage Licensing, Third-Party Risk Management/Vendor Management, and Corporate Policy.
  • Chaired the Operations Risk and Technology Committee; provided strategic counsel to the C-suite on legislative policy impacts.
  • Supported HECM/reverse-mortgage servicing compliance across HUD/FHA requirements, subservicer oversight, default and loss-mitigation operations, complaint handling, policy alignment, and responses to CFPB and state regulatory examinations.
  • Directed BCP and Disaster Recovery strategies, ensuring operational resilience and regulatory alignment.
  • Co-led simulation exercises with the CISO to validate operational readiness and identify BCP/DR improvements.
  • Led development of AI-driven RPA solutions and automated LOS review processes, increasing operational efficiency by 28%.
  • Directed IT Risk/Cybersecurity frameworks aligned with COSO ERM, reducing risk issues by 19%.
  • Architected scalable operational models and delivery frameworks to close organizational gaps, ensuring risk controls aligned with enterprise ROI objectives.
  • Championed data democratization through self-serve reporting, automated dashboards, and curated data extracts.
Key Achievements
  • 36% reduction in issue resolution time
  • 72% savings in compliance costs via GRC systems
  • 53% mitigation of vendor-related risks via TPRM
Apr 2017 — Sep 2017 Strategic Consultant Remote
· 7 Lenders Served· Fair Lending· Statistical Modeling

Compliant Mortgage Solutions

Strategic Consultant — Compliance & Operational Risk

  • Delivered enterprise-wide risk and compliance strategies for 7 mortgage lenders, focusing on regulatory data alignment and governance frameworks. Supported clients with CFPB and state regulatory examinations.
  • Directed database development and statistical modeling, achieving a 28% reduction in operational gaps.
  • Executed regression analyses for fair lending evaluations and redlining reviews.
  • Designed scalable operating models and per-diem metric analyses for California-based lenders, achieving a 15% increase in operational efficiency.
Mar 2014 — Apr 2017 Director, Compliance Initiatives & Analytics Dallas, TX · Sherman Oaks, CA
· HMDA & NMLS· Predictive Modeling· Fair Lending

Prospect Mortgage (Homebridge Financial Services)

Director of Compliance Initiatives & Analytics

  • Supported CFPB and state regulatory examinations; led development of GRC systems, regulatory databases (HMDA, mainframe reconciliation), and social-media monitoring, improving compliance accuracy by 84%.
  • Led strategic analytics that reduced compliance risks by 27% through cross-functional process improvements and predictive modeling.
  • Partnered with the Chief Fair Lending Officer to execute statistical analyses (regression, redlining, steering), achieving a 68% improvement in audit outcomes.
  • Developed an Operational Risk model and updated QC systems using statistical sampling, reducing operational failures by 34% in the first year.
  • Created systematic NMLS reporting approach, reducing filing errors by 39%.
  • Designed compliance tools driving a 42% increase in departmental efficiency.
  • Embedded predictive models into core products, driving a 20% increase in engagement and revenue.
  • Trained a team of 5 analysts in advanced programming; led monthly analytics workshops.
  • Collaborated on Azure-based modern data architecture supporting AI/ML integration.
Key Achievements
  • 67% reduction in HMDA processing time
  • 32% reduction in compliance costs
  • 68% improvement in audit outcomes
Apr 2011 — Mar 2014 Senior Analyst, Portfolio & Risk Analytics Dallas, TX
· 93 Monthly Reports· Investor Reporting· S&P / Moody's

Vericrest Financial (Caliber Home Loans)

Senior Analyst, Portfolio & Risk Analytics

  • Senior member of the Portfolio Risk and Analytics team; oversaw production and maintenance of 93 monthly reports and risk models for compliance and asset management.
  • Quantified risk metrics and recommended workflow changes that improved operational efficiency by 26% across multiple business units.
  • Developed key data structures for the ASPECT dialer system, investor reporting (S&P, Moody's), and standardized regulatory metrics.
  • Produced a monthly Portfolio Risk reporting package for 13 executive leaders, including servicing portfolio trends and forecasts covering foreclosure, loss mitigation, bankruptcy, and projected collections call volume to support staffing, capacity planning, and portfolio management.
  • Directed compliance reporting and supported state mortgage licensing efforts.
Key Achievements
  • 26% efficiency improvement via streamlined reporting
  • 71% reduction in reporting errors
  • 49% cost savings from portfolio risk insights
Education

Foundations — in engineering and information systems.

2007  —  2009
Miami, FL

Florida International University

Management Information Systems & Engineering

Coursework in Engineering & Management Information Systems

Expertise

A working vocabulary — across regulation, risk, data and the systems that bind them.

Regulatory & Compliance
AML/BSA · OFAC · Fair Lending (ECOA Reg B) · UDAAP · RESPA/Reg X · TILA/Reg Z · TRID · HMDA (Reg C) · FCRA · FDCPA · CFPB Servicing Rules · HUD/FHA · GSE (Fannie/Freddie/Ginnie) · HECM · SES (State Exam System) · GLBA · CCPA · TCPA · SAFE Act · MAPS Reg N · NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500 · Mortgage Servicing Analytics & Compliance · Consumer Complaint Governance · QWR/NOE · HECM/Reverse-Mortgage Servicing Compliance Support · Subservicer Oversight
Risk & Governance
Enterprise Risk Management · COSO ERM · BASEL · Interest Rate Risk · Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) / Vendor Management · BCP / DR · Cybersecurity · NIST · ISO 27001 · Issues Management · Regulatory Reporting (HMDA, NMLS, MCR) · CFPB & State Regulatory Examinations
Data & AI
Enterprise Data Governance · Data Lineage · Data Privacy · AI / ML Lifecycle · Predictive Modeling · Quantitative Risk Analytics · ETL · Modern Data Architecture (Azure, AWS) · Python · AI Governance · Responsible AI · Servicing Portfolio Analytics · Operational Forecasting
Tools & Platforms
Power BI · Tableau · T-SQL · SQL Server (SSMS, SSIS, SSRS) · RStudio · Visual Studio · Salesforce · HubSpot · Zoho · RSA Archer · ProcessUnity · Venminder · VendorRisk · Everbridge · Encompass 360 · Mortgage Cadence · Empower · ACES · CogentQC
Leadership
Regulatory Liaison & Advocacy · Supervisory Engagement · Board & C-suite Reporting · Building & Scaling Teams · Operating Model Design · Digital Transformation
Credentials  ·  13 Active

Thirteen certifications spanning risk, compliance, privacy, data and ethics.

GRCP
GRC Professional Certification
CGEIT
Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT
CRVPM III
Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager
CRISC
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
CISM
Certified Information Security Manager
CBE
Certified Blockchain Expert
MCSE BI
MCSE Business Intelligence
EMCDSA
EMC Data Science Associate
FMVA
Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst
Six Sigma
Green Belt Certification
LPEC
Leadership Professional in Ethics & Compliance
CCP
Certified Compliance Professional
CIPP
Certified Information Privacy Professional
Speaking  ·  Industry Engagement

Selected speaking — on the questions practitioners actually face.

Lenders One Summer Conference Aug 6–9, 2017 Minneapolis, MN Legal & Compliance · Session IV

“That’s Not Fair! Is Fair Lending Really Fair?”

Co-presented with Mike Barone, Executive Director of Compliance, Mortgage Quality Management & Research (MQMR). At the time: Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Compliant Mortgage Solutions.

A working session on the fair lending exposures lenders actually live with — base pricing, pricing exceptions, discretionary credits, underwriting exceptions, marketing and fee waivers — and the analyses that put numbers on the risk.

Contact

Three ways to reach Joseph Elias.

For advisory engagements in risk and compliance transformation, examination readiness, ERM/GRC, TPRM/vendor governance, servicing analytics and complaint governance, or data and AI governance, contact Joseph directly.

Email
info@josephelias.info
Phone
949.781.0463
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/joseph-elias-risk
© 2026 Joseph Elias · Principal Consultant · Senior Risk, Compliance & Data Leader Download Resume · View Leadership Bio