CFPB: Executive Team Additions Announced

Industry Update
November 30, 2020

Source: CFPB

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today announced additions to its executive team. The leadership positions are:

Matthew R. Bettenhausen serves as Senior Advisor and Counselor to the Director. Mr. Bettenhausen has over 17 years of federal service, principally as an Assistant United States Attorney with the Department of Justice in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). There he served as Associate Chief of the Criminal Division and Acting Chief of Appeals, among other supervisory positions, and engaged in many complex financial crime investigations and prosecutions. Mr. Bettenhausen earned his B.S. in Accountancy (currently a licensed CPA in Illinois) and J.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Chris Chilbert is the Chief Information Officer in the Bureau’s Operations Division. Mr. Chilbert has more than 20 years of federal service. Before joining the Bureau, he served as Assistant Inspector General for Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General where he led their adoption of modern management practices and technologies. Mr. Chilbert is a veteran of the U.S. Navy submarine force. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary.

Janis K. Pappalardo is the Associate Director for Research, Markets and Regulations. Prior to joining the Bureau, Ms. Pappalardo served as Assistant Director for Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In that capacity, she led the only division in the FTC’s Bureau of Economics devoted to the consumer protection mission. Ms. Pappalardo has served at the FTC for more than three decades and started as an economist conducting and initiating independent analyses on consumer protection matters. Ms. Pappalardo earned her doctoral and master’s degrees from Cornell University and bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America.

Donna Roy is the Bureau’s Chief Operating Officer. Her management experience of over 35 years spans working with Fortune 200 Financial Services companies through small, start-up experience as an entrepreneur. Ms. Roy served previously as the Bureau’s Chief Information Officer. Before joining the Bureau, she served for 13 years in several positions of increasing responsibility at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with leadership excellence recognized by both industry and federal government awards. She has over 20 years of federal government experience as a leader focused on innovative, customer-focused solutions within dynamic environments. Ms. Roy is a United States Marine Corps veteran. She is a graduate of Wades College in Dallas.

Deborah Royster is the Assistant Director, Office for Older Americans. Before joining the Bureau, Ms. Royster served as Chief Executive Officer of Seabury Resources for Aging, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing, transportation, care management and other support services to older adults and family caregivers in the Washington, D.C. region. Ms. Royster is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia School of Law.

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CEO

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

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Esq., General Counsel and EVP

Linda Erkkila

Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

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COO

Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

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CFO

Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

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Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties