AfBA & JV Workshops, Executive Education Training

Midwest Workshop for Title Insurance Joint Ventures
Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Executive Education Faculty

Joe Piernock, President, Corporate Development Services

Joseph L. Piernock joined Corporate Development Services, Inc. (CDS) earlier this year. Prior to CDS, he was the president of a respected consulting firm that delivers complex analyses and large-scale computer solutions to a wide range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, retail, education, investment management and finance. Joe’s skills and experience are allowing CDS to offer new services to the title industry.

Prior to consulting, Joe spent twenty years with ARCO. In several different roles, he conducted dozens of large and complex “buy” and “sell” valuations. The total value of these analyses totaled many billions
of dollars and spanned a wide range of manufacturing and service industries. While in business management, Joe led marketing, business development, and governmental affairs for ARCO’s most politically and commercially active business center during the most active period in its history. Joe also held positions in finance, manufacturing and engineering. Joe received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Back to top

Phillip Schulman, Partner, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP

One of the nation’s most widely respected and most recognized RESPA attorneys,
Phil Schulman’s national practice focuses on real estate finance and mortgage banking, with specialties in RESPA, the Truth-in-Lending Act, and administrative and regulatory compliance matters. He is a former Assistant General Counsel for the Inspector General and Administrative Proceedings Division of HUD.

Back to top

Tom Sagehorn, Group President, Stewart Title Company

Tom Sagehorn began his career with Stewart in 1990 and was shortly promoted to Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and in 1994 was promoted to serve as

the MidAmerican Region Manager. As MidAmerican Region Manager, he is responsible for company and agency operations in all mid-western and mid-southern states. He also oversees numerous Stewart Information national affiliates including First Data Systems and Property info corporation (all Stewart Information real estate information products and services). Tom is the Chairman of the Board of the Arkansas Title Insurance Co. and President of National Land Title Insurance Co. (NLTIC), two Stewart family of companies underwriters.

Tom has extensive experience over the past 20 years in the business and legal aspects of multi-outlet distribution systems, from formation to operations; including affiliated business arrangements and joint ventures and the regulatory and competitive business environment within which these business entities exist. He has a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University Law School.

Back to top

Phil Stein, former Illinois Department of Financial Institutions Examiner;
Illinois Agency Services Manager, National Land Title Insurance Company

Phil Stein comes from a distinguished career as a public servant, working most recently as a Financial Institutions Examiner for the Illinois Department of Financial Institutions from 1993-2001, in the Title Insurance Division from 2001 – 2006.  Previously, he worked as the assistant the Illinois Lieutenant Governor (1990-93) and to State Senator Robert Kustra (R-28th District) (1988-90). Phil currently serves as the Agency Services Manager covering Illinois and Indiana for National Land Title Insurance Company, a Stewart Information company. 

Back to top

Ed Janczur, Senior Vice President and MidAmerican Counsel

Ed Janczur is a Senior Vice President Regional Counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company, a member of the Stewart Information Services Corporation family of companies, a NYSE Company. Stewart is one of the largest title insurance companies and property information providers in world.  

Ed is also a former president of the Illinois Land Title Association, and is currently the chairman of the Title Counsel committee for the Illinois Land Title Association. In addition, he is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, The Illinois Bar Association and the American Bar Association.  Ed frequently lectures on a wide variety of title industry topics.

Back to top

James R. Kletke, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Counsel

for Stewart Title Guaranty Company

James R. Kletke is Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company in Houston, Texas. Jim is a graduate of Grinnell College and the University of Texas Law School and has been associated with the title industry for over twenty-five years.

Jim began his career with Stewart in 1976 as a staff attorney, graduating to Texas Agency Manager,
a position he held for several years. After a three year interlude of practicing law as a partner in a law firm specializing in real estate and lending institution law, he returned to Stewart as managing counsel prior to becoming Chief Underwriting Counsel.

Jim is a past Director of the Texas Land Title Association, a Chairman of the ALTA Title Underwriter Counsel Committee, past Chairman of the Claims Administration Committee, a member of the Board of Title Reinsurance Corporation and RESPRO, and has spoken/lectured at several title industry functions including realty, mortgage banking and lender associations.

Back to top

Mark McElroy, President & CEO, RamQuest Software, Inc.

Mark McElroy began his career in Fortune 100 application development and technology deployment in 1984.  He has since been involved in major application development and technology support for healthcare, wholesale distribution and technologies consulting that have resulted in countless successful implementations, helping businesses save millions of dollars in efficiencies. In 1993, he moved to implementing SAP in large multi-national companies and, in 1996, became a partner in IT Services, Inc., where, as a key member of the executive management team, he helped to grow that business to $40M in annual revenues by 2000. In May 2001, along with several other investors, McElroy purchased RamQuest. Since the purchase, under McElroy’s direction, RamQuest has more than quadrupled its user base and revenues. Mark McElroy currently serves as president and CEO of RamQuest Software, Inc.

Back to top

Joe Casa, Founder & Publisher, October Research Corporation,  
The Title Report

Located in Richfield, Ohio, October Research is the nation’s leading provider of market intelligence, business news and regulatory information for the real estate services industry. During 2005, the company was named a top ten Weatherhead 100 company by Case Western Reserve University as one of the region’s fastest growing businesses. Prior to October Research, Joe served as Executive Vice President of Old Republic National Title Holding Company where he oversaw their Realty Services Group and the company’s Corporate Development activity. Prior to Old Republic, he was a General Manager and Group Vice President for TRW Information Systems and Services. Joe obtained his BA from Otterbein College and is a graduate of TRW’s worldwide business study program and executive education programs from several business schools.

Back to top