Wyndham Capital Mortgage, a leading fintech mortgage lender, has announced the hiring of industry and executive veteran Melissa Smith as the organization’s SVP of Risk and Compliance. With over 30 years of experience in financial service leadership, risk and compliance, Smith brings a unique blend of skills and knowledge to Wyndham Capital.

“As we face the future of shifting compliance regulations and an always-vital need to understand and abide by these rules, we knew it was critical to have someone in this role with Melissa’s skillset and knowledge base,” said Wyndham Capital Mortgage founder and CEO Jeff Douglas. “We are always looking toward how to improve our organization as we continue to grow, and Melissa’s joining is a great step in that direction.”

Prior to joining Wyndham Capital, Smith spent time as the Compliance Executive, SVP – Fair & Responsible Banking; Risk Evaluation and Assurance for Key Bank, where she held responsibility for the oversight of fair lending regulations and compliance testing and monitoring across the organization.

Her career spans various financial institutions, including mortgage and banking organizations, where she has shown time and again a propensity for understanding and communicating the complexities of risk and compliance.

“Our industry obviously is highly regulated to protect the consumer. As we scale our company, Melissa will ensure we continue to abide by and convert the red tape of regulations into a red carpet experience for our customers,” said Wyndham Capital Mortgage president Ben Cowen.

Smith will be based out of Wyndham Capital’s office in Charlotte, N.C., and will continue to be a part of growing its footprint not only in Charlotte but Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Phoenix and Dallas.