Susan Pettem

Senior Vice President,
Novare National Settlement Service

How many years have you been in private lending or supporting services and why did you enter this field?

My background in the title industry is somewhat of an anomaly as I actually started my title career internally. I launched into the business in the mid-80s at Ticor Title in Beverly Hills and ultimately moved into sales. Traditionally, the majority of sales people tend to enter the marketplace directly as sales representatives and then learn the business as they go. My career was in the reverse order which is something I am very grateful for and has served me well.

I have always been fascinated by real estate – a robust, multi-faceted industry. Title insurance interested me from that perspective. Entering the title business at the ground level, I made a point of learning as much as I could, creating the opportunity for promotion. The first step-up was to be assigned the manager position of the Beverly Hills customer service department. I enjoyed not only providing the customers (local realtors and lenders) with prompt property profile information but also engaging with them to better understand their title needs as customers. At that time, clients frequently came to the office in-person, which created a personal customer relationship and fostered good-service loyalty. (Note – this is during the pre-email days – fax machines were the latest and greatest new thing!)

I was subsequently recruited by another major national title company to work within the customer service team, providing similar services on a much larger basis. I was taken under the wing of the local President at that time, stopping me from moving on to another firm. He must have seen something in me, providing me with the opportunity for advancement in my career path at his company.

After stints as a title assistant and examiner, I was promoted to Title Officer & Manager of TSG services, ultimately being recruited to a newer, still-small regional title company, Fidelity National Financial (FNF). At that time, it was nationally headquartered in Irvine, California.

Ultimately our Western Regional EVP asked me to represent my team in the FNF sales force, changing the course of my career. I have never looked back but am grateful for the technical knowledge and expertise I gained by my years of working internally in the title world. I also learned the valuable lesson that excellent customer service is the key to building a happy customer experience and subsequent brand loyalty.

What do you do for your firm – how do your contributions affect your company at large?

I was assigned to Novare National Settlement Service by our regional EVP shortly after the company was acquired by Fidelity National Financial in 2015. The company holds unique national licensing and had already created a national title and closing platform to internally manage their clients prior to being acquired, making it an attractive acquisition for Fidelity. My role continues to be in sales, with a primary focus on regional and national banks, residential and commercial mortgage companies, residential and commercial law firms and investor business. The value-proposition is providing great service by streamlining the title insurance and escrow/closing processes nationally and by utilizing best-in-class sophisticated tools & processes to achieve the highest of results.

What is something most people don’t know about you or your company?

Novare National Settlement Service is managed by a predominantly female team including our President, Cathy McIndoo. Cathy’s background is heavily in national escrow/closing, complementing our national title platform. Cathy’s vision is all about remaining involved with our customers’ national closings all the way through the process, regardless of location. With my background in title support services in the national mortgage space, I feel that we offer an unparalleled team and platform in a highly competitive marketplace. My focus is always on improving and growing our business sales pipeline, which takes focus and hard, but rewarding, work each and every day.

What has been the highlight so far in your career?

Honestly, there have been multiple highlights all along the way. I have been very fortunate in having some great mentors along the way who provided excellent advice and direction. These mentors stepped up and offered the benefit of their own experience to help someone still finding their career path. Every one of those mentors taught me that “no question is dumb” – the only “dumb” question is the one that you don’t ask. I asked a lot of questions, allowing me to progress, with the help of their generous guidance.

Our corporate awards events were always appreciated however it is the smaller but significant mentoring “awards” that truly have meant the most to me.

Tell us about a person or organization that you admire. How have they made an important impact on you, the industry, or the world?

I’ve always had a deep-seated admiration for self-made people who create their own personal or professional successes by virtue of their own hard work and focused vision. I admire greatly the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for their scientific universal focus on improving our planet, as well as other highly successful individuals in a variety of professions. I especially look up to those who have not forgotten where they came from and retain appreciation for all who have helped them along the way, sharing their expertise and mentoring those who are still coming up.

How have you turned a career mistake or failure into success in your career?

At one point, briefly, I decided to accept a highly attractive offer to diversify my resume scope, without the benefit of extremely thorough due diligence. The new company actually was struggling financially and my arrival was too late to make a difference. I realized that although it was an interesting opportunity at first blush, it was not the right move for me. The lesson was “always do your homework” and also “measure twice, cut once”. Sometimes the “greener” pastures might be where you already are, simply dig in and make a difference. This was a valuable lessons-learned experience for me; brief but impactful.

If you had a clean slate to start over and do anything you wanted to do, what would that be?

Being the daughter of a PHD scientist who enjoyed an international career in the State Department, I do find the diplomatic corps fascinating, working with people around the globe. I like the idea of nurturing businesses in third world countries also, particularly fostering support and the continuation of the creation of handicrafts, textiles and hand-crafted fashion using traditional techniques.

What is the best advice you could give to a woman thinking about making a leap into title insurance as well as Private Lending?

Opportunities will always be available for someone who is willing to put in the time to become an expert in their chosen field. Ask questions, read relevant materials, and stay updated on current events impacting your chosen industry. Be professional and know your business etiquette as well – this will take you a long way in the advancement of your chosen career path. Know your business, your competitors and, most importantly, your customers.