Janette Mah has played a major role in extending the American dream of homeownership to the underserved Korean-American community during her 30-year career in banking.
She was named executive vice president and chief mortgage banking officer of Bank of Hope, formerly known as BBCN Bank, upon the merger of equals with Wilshire Bank in July 2016. Mah, who had served in the same capacity for Wilshire prior to the merger, is credited with successfully integrating the mortgage platforms of the two banks into the country’s only super-regional Korean-American bank with an estimated $13.2 billion in assets.
After the merger, she expanded Bank of Hope’s retail lending platform coast to coast in geographic markets containing major concentrations of Korean-Americans. She was also instrumental in establishing a warehouse lending platform last year that has become a household name among industry peers. In 2016, Mah set a record with more than $450 million in committed facilities, including several top 50 mortgage originators. She’s now implementing a correspondent channel.
Mah’s success comes from her strong work ethic and commitment to serve the Korean-American community. She mentors her staff and dedicates time to help them achieve their career goals, paving the way for other Korean-American women to climb the career ladder in what is still a male-dominated industry. She’s also humble and credits much of her success to her dedicated team.
Mah has built a successful mortgage platform for three lending channels as part of her commitment to help prospective homebuyers achieve the American dream.
