Sprout Mortgage adds key member to its leadership team

Sprout Mortgage has announced the appointment of Laura LaRaia to executive vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance officer.

In her new role at Sprout, LaRaja will oversee all legal and regulatory compliance functions and serve as the firm’s general counsel.

Read more: Sprout Mortgage broadens qualification for non-QM loans

LaRaja brings more than two decades of in-house and law firm mortgage banking industry experience to Sprout. Previously, she served as chief legal officer and general counsel at First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation, and prior to that she was chief compliance officer/deputy general counsel at Supreme Lending.

She is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) legal issues and regulatory compliance committee and the state and legislative regulations committee.

Michael Strauss, chief executive officer of Sprout Mortgage, led the company in welcoming LaRaja to its leadership team, saying her addition will “continue our strong growth trajectory and reinforce Sprout’s position as the go-to source for non-QM residential lending nationwide.”

Meanwhile, Shea Pallante, president of Sprout Mortgage, said that the firm is “thrilled and excited that Laura is joining us.”

“We believe Laura’s addition shows we are attracting some of the top talent nationwide, which will better allow us to serve our clients,” said Pallante.

For her part, LaRaja said that she has “led mortgage companies through all the major regulatory changes of the last two decades and I am eager to provide the same guidance to the Sprout team as the non-QM mortgage sector continues to evolve.”