Current News

On October 1, HousingWire announced that Williston Financial Group CEO Steve Ozonian had won the 2020 HW Vanguard Award. Steve was one of 50 top executives chosen from a field "more competitive than ever before. ... The competition was fierce." The winning executives all have a unique story of how…

On September 30, 2020, Michael Hammond, founder of NexLevel Advisors, welcomed Williston Financial Group's Dan Bailey to his Fintech Hunting podcast. He began by asking the SVP of WFG Lender Services and WFG Enterprise Solutions how his two WFG divisions were faring during this year of COVID. Bailey explained that…

Mortgage and real estate companies needed to adjust to new procedures for doing business during COVID. That meant increased reliance on the Internet and much greater vigilance for signs of cybercrime. Executives in the financial services industry are now seeking cybersecurity solutions to protect their businesses from the most pernicious…

Portland, Ore., September 22, 2020 – Valutrust Solutions, LLC, one of the Williston Financial Group (WFG) family of innovative customer-focused companies, has announced that Brandon Melanese has joined the company as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Melanese, a sales executive with more than 25 years of real estate valuation…

Dean Kirchen, Senior Vice President of WFG's Default Title Services, is one of 50 industry leaders whom HousingWire has honored as 2020 Insiders. According to Editor-in-Chief Sarah Wheeler, these carefully selected individuals "demonstrate expertise in areas that are critical to the success of the companies they work for” and "have…

WESTprotect.com, a new cybersecurity service created by WEST, a Williston Financial Group company, is now available on demand, with self-service, subscription-based access, to help title agents, real estate professionals and lenders protect themselves from email fraud and other cybercrime, all of which have seen dramatic increases during the COVID pandemic…

New WESTprotect.com, the nation’s only online cybersecurity helpdesk, now provides self-serve, on-demand access to real-time alerts, updated briefs and 'WESTprotect 411' assistance IRVINE, Calif., SEPTEMBER 01, 2020 – WEST, a Williston Financial Group Company committed to improving the entire residential real estate and mortgage transaction for all participants, has launched…

No one argues that COVID-19 has changed everything about conducting business, says Dan Bailey, SVP, WFG Lender Services & WFG Enterprise Solutions, in his August 29 article for Progress in Lending. From personal work habits to how we interact with employees, partners, clients and prospects, it's a different world now…

On August 26, HousingWire posted an interview with Dean Kirchen, Senior Vice President of WFG's Default Title Services, identifying what the industry leader sees are the top trends in servicing this year. The interview, exclusively available for HW+ premium members until it goes public on September 1, comes on the…

Senior vice president of WFG Default Services at WFG National Title Insurance Company In honor of the 2020 HW Insiders list that was announced on Monday exclusively for HW+ members, HousingWire interviewed Dean Kirchen, senior vice president of WFG Default Services at WFG National Title Insurance Company, to get his insight on the…