Press Release: AI Mortgage Innovator Tidalwave Bolsters Team with Key Industry Hires from ICE and nCino

The news follows the appointment of former ICE executive Chris McLendon as Chief Revenue Officer and new strategic partnerships with ICE Mortgage Technology and lenders

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tidalwave, an agentic AI mortgage technology startup integrated with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, continues to gain momentum, drawing leading mortgage veterans to its rapidly growing team. The company today announced the two high-profile executive appointments, signaling its rapid momentum in reshaping mortgage technology. John Stephenson, former relationship manager and sales executive at ICE Mortgage Technology, joins as Head of National Sales, bringing deep industry expertise and a proven track record in driving lender adoption at scale. Frank Pastirchak, a veteran of nCino and Reggora, joins as Account Executive, further strengthening the company’s go-to-market team with his experience in SaaS sales and mortgage automation.

These notable hires come on the heels of Chris McLendon, a former ICE executive, joining Tidalwave as Chief Revenue Officer, underscoring Tidalwave’s strong appeal to top industry professionals eager to contribute to the AI-driven transformation in the mortgage sector.

These recent talent acquisitions follow Tidalwave’s announcement of strategic partnerships with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Mortgage Technology, a leading mortgage technology provider, as well as lending partners First Colony Mortgage (FCM) and Mortgage Solutions. These partnerships enable direct integration of Tidalwave’s AI-powered Point of Sale (POS+) platform into lender operations, automating up to 70% of manual tasks—such as document validation and compliance checks—and freeing staff to focus on higher-value work.

“Attracting mortgage industry veterans like John, Frank, and Chris demonstrates the strength of our vision and the progress we are making,” said Diane Yu, CEO of Tidalwave. “Their decision to join Tidalwave reflects our commitment to building a modern, AI-first mortgage platform that addresses the real needs of lenders and borrowers.”

Tidalwave’s AI platform is built around an ecosystem of industry-leading partners, enabling deep automation across the mortgage process. By integrating directly with the mortgage industry’s primary automated underwriting systems— Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter® (DU) and Freddie Mac’s Loan Product Advisor® (LPA℠) —Tidalwave allows lenders to access both systems simultaneously for instant pre-approvals and real-time loan risk assessments, ensuring comprehensive data validation and document compliance. Strategic partnerships with fintech innovators such as Plaid, Argyle, and Truv embed real-time income, employment, and asset verification directly into the borrower application experience, streamlining the process from the start.

“By automating operations, improving compliance, and delivering a faster mortgage experience, Tidalwave empowers lenders to scale effectively while significantly enhancing their operational efficiency and profitability,” said John Stephenson, Head of National Sales. “After many years at established mortgage technology firms, I am excited to join a company that is genuinely innovating. Tidalwave is setting a new standard for what’s possible in mortgage technology.”

“Once I saw Tidalwave’s AI in action, I knew this was the real deal. Tidalwave’s SOLO™ transforms tasks that previously took days—like letters of explanation (documents borrowers provide to clarify credit or income issues) or document collection—into processes completed in minutes, shrinking overall loan processing times from weeks to days,” said Frank Pastirchak.

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