Leadership Team
Zach Arnold, CEO & Co-founder
Biography
Zach Arnold is an experienced entrepreneur and leader with a proven track record of building and scaling lending platforms. He has created new to industry mortgage products, built and operated multiple platforms, and led multiple national go-to-markets for new mortgage products.
Zach currently serves as CEO of Swiched. In his role, Zach is responsible for all aspects of the organization. Prior to Swiched, Zach started and led multiple consumer bridge lending platforms including TRU Cash (a subsidiary of Cherry Creek Mortgage), Zavvie Power Buyer, and 8z Offers.
Zach began his career in Navy Special Operations as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD). He served on active duty from 2008 to 2014 with multiple deployments. He lived overseas for 5 years conducting operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Zach has an MBA in Real Estate and Finance from University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business
Chris Hobson, COO & Co-founder
Biography
Chris is a growth driven leader with extensive experience building AI, vertical SaaS, Software, and tech enabled services platforms.
Chris started his career in the Strategy & Private Equity practice at McKinsey and Co. where he led global transformations for clients across Growth, Innovation, and M&A.
Since then he has had extensive operational and strategic roles in fast growing SaaS and Tech companies. Prior to founding Swiched, he led Strategy and Corporate Development at Inari, an AI driven gene editing business and Simio an AI & supply chain simulation company
Chris has a Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering from the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, A M.S in Materials Engineering and a B.A in Physics and Biochemistry.
He enjoys cycling, rock climbing, and playing with his young daughter.
Biography
Brian Finn Carlsen is a seasoned legal and compliance professional with a robust background in sales and risk management, adept at balancing risks and rewards to drive smarter decision-making. Known for his analytical rigor and creative problem-solving, Brian has held leadership roles across various industries, including legal counsel, mortgage banking, and compliance.
Brian is currently Chief Compliance Officer at NewFed Mortgage and Strategic Advisor at Swiched. His career highlights include co-founding and managing one of the largest private mortgage companies in the Pacific Northwest, spearheading risk management initiatives for Cherry Creek Mortgage, and consulting on regulatory compliance and product design for startups.
With a Juris Doctor and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Kansas, Brian combines legal expertise with strategic business acumen to deliver impactful solutions.
Biography
David Akre is a highly accomplished, results-driven capital markets executive with substantial experience trading and managing non-Agency loans, building loan purchase programs, and proactively managing credit issues.
David owns an advisory firm, WholeLoans.com, and is also a Strategic Advisor for Swiched.
Past experiences include the architect and Co-Founder of New York Mortgage Trust (NYMT) a REIT he took public in 2004, building loan purchase programs at two other REITs, including Thornburg Mortgage, and most recently EVP of Capital Markets at Sprout Mortgage, a large Non-QM lender. In total, he has traded and or managed over $20 billion of residential loans.
Biography
Darren Shaffer is a global technology executive with over three decades of experience in driving digital transformation at firms including Wal-Mart, Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft. Darren has served as Chief Architect, CIO, CTO, and led the design, creation, and launch of over 117 enterprise systems, some with millions of users worldwide.
Most recently, Darren was a thought-leading CTO in the mortgage industry for Cherry Creek Mortgage and Churchill Mortgage Corporation where he built, led and scaled proprietary LOS platforms to manufacture over 50,000 units.
After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1989 with degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Darren served as an Army officer during the First Gulf War, completed graduate studies in Computer Engineering, and then left the service as a Captain.
An avid fly fisherman and hunter, Darren lives in Lone Tree, Colorado with his beautiful wife and his bird dog Ranger. Hiking in the Rockies and practicing daily gratitude recharge his lifelong passion for service.
Biography
Rick Seehausen is an accomplished executive, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor with nearly 40 years of experience driving growth and innovation in tech-enabled and SaaS financial services companies. He serves as a board director for Maxwell Labs, Inc., and a board advisor to Rocktop Technologies and Swiched.
Rick’s recent achievements include advising LauraMac in 2023, where he secured millions in new sales, crafted a growth strategy, and led corporate development efforts. From 2019 to 2022, he was Vice Chairman, President, and COO of Cherry Creek Mortgage, where he oversaw corporate services and led strategic acquisitions and new business ventures.
Previously, Rick co-founded LenderLive Holdings, serving as President and CEO from 2003 to 2017, and guiding the company through successful growth and M&A initiatives.
A trusted advisor to numerous ventures, Rick is actively involved with the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association and supports causes like BP’s Fight Against ALS and Habitat for Humanity.
Biography
With nearly three decades in residential real estate, Dustin Wells brings a wealth of experience and vision to his Advisory role at Swiched.
Dustin currently serves as The President of Dominion Financial Wholesale. In his role, Dustin is responsible for all aspects of running the organization. His industry leadership journey spans senior and executive positions where he played key roles in building multiple mortgage companies, guiding both multi-billion-dollar firms and start-up ventures from the ground up.
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Dustin combines his deep industry expertise with a passion for innovation and technology.
Outside of work, he enjoys life on the water as an avid boater with his family, regular exercise and weight training and an occasional round of golf.