NMI Holdings CEO Claudia Merkle leaves

  • Push-out Score determined
  • After about three years in the position
  • Accolades, praise and thanks for Merkle
  • Adam Pollitzer taking over
  • Merkle said 108 words

(exechange) — Emeryville, California, September 9, 2021 — Claudia Merkle, chief executive of NMI Holdings, leaves. As announced by NMI Holdings Inc. in a news release and in a regulatory filing published on Thursday, September 9, 2021, Claudia J. Merkle leaves her post as chief executive officer at the private mortgage insurance company, after about three years in the role, effective December 31, 2021.

Claudia Merkle’s duties as CEO will be taken over by Adam Pollitzer, currently Chief Financial Officer at NMI Holdings Inc.

It is a generational change as well. Adam Pollitzer is about 20 years younger than Claudia Merkle.

“Deliberate and collaborative succession planning process”

Claudia Merkle’s departure from the CEO post is explained as follows. Bradley Shuster, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, said: “This leadership transition comes at the right time for National MI and is the result of a deliberate and collaborative succession planning process.”

Precise information regarding Claudia Merkle’s future plans was not immediately available.

“Step down”

NMI Holdings said: “Adam Pollitzer, currently the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2022. Mr. Pollitzer will also join the company’s Board of Directors upon assuming his new role. He succeeds Claudia Merkle, who will step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board, effective December 31, 2021.”

Share price decline since January 2020

The announcement follows a decline in NMI Holdings Inc.’s share price of 32% since January 2020.

In the position of CEO since 2019

Claudia Merkle became CEO of the Company in 2019.

Merkle has served on the Company’s Board and as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since January 2019.

Merkle served as the Company’s President during 2018 and as Chief Operating Officer from 2016 to 2018.

From 2013 to 2016, Merkle served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief of Insurance Operations, overseeing all aspects of the Company’s insurance operations.

Merkle joined NMI in May 2012 as its Senior Vice President of Underwriting Fulfillment and Risk Operations.

A seasoned mortgage industry executive, Merkle draws on over 25 years of experience in mortgage banking, mortgage insurance, business development and operations, and we believe she is qualified to serve on the Company’s Board and as CEO.

Prior to NMI, Merkle served as vice president of national and regional accounts, risk and operations at PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. from 1996 to 2012.

She has held previous executive leadership positions within the mortgage banking and mortgage insurance industries, including both national and regional business development, operations and risk management.

Earlier in her career, Merkle served as vice president, regional manager at Meridian Mortgage, from 1990 to 1996, managing retail mortgage originations.

She also held roles at Wachovia Bank in training, retail mortgage origination, underwriting, operations and Community Reinvestment Act lending.

Merkle holds a B.S. in management from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Push-out Score determined

The Push-out Score™ determined by exechange gauges the pressure surrounding Claudia Merkle’s move on a scale of 0 to 10.

exechange reached out to NMI Holdings and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.

Read the full story in the exechange report 37.2021 ($).