Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Byrne
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I finished my MBA in 1995, I started my international banking career in Latin America. My key advantage at that time was my knowledge of Latin American markets and bilingual skills.
I started in the largest Peruvian bank as a product analyst, and quicky moved to US companies with operations in Latin America like Colgate Palmolive as a brand manager and then to VISA Latin America Headquarters in Miami as a Consumer Products Manager for Latin America and Caribbean, based in Miami, FL.
In 2008, I received an offer to move back to Perú to manage the Cards loans portfolio for one of the largest Retail Store credit divisions (Banco Ripley) and then I was the head of personal loans at BBVA Peru., finally in 2015 I acceptted an offer to be the Vice President and General Manager for Mastercard PERU and BOLIVIA where I worked for 5 years and was able to increase market share and revenues in both countries
In 2019 I decided to retire from the corporate world to open a company with 2 business activities: a) A consulting firms that specialized in helping small companies and international Startups develop or improve their payment operations in Latin America. And b) a sales organization for the largest merchant acquirer in the country to sign up small merchants and install POS terminals to accept credit and debit cards.
In 2023 my children moved to the US to go to College, so we decided as a family to move back to the US. After analyzing several cities, I chose to move to Greenville SC because of its growth opportunities, beauty of the city, good living costs and also, because I am in the middle point between my kids. My oldest son went to school in Gainesville, FL and my daughter in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Here in Greenville, Here in Greenville, I identified an interesting Real Estate market, and since I am also a real estate investor., I decided to leverage that experience with my banking experience and became a Mortgage Broker licensed in South Carolina and North Carolina., I am associated to MOTTO MORTGAGE and since 2024 I have placed already several mortgage loans.
Now I am specialized not only in traditional mortgage products like FHA, Conventional, VA, refinance, etc. but also, in non-conventional loan such as foreign investors, bank statement based, investor loans, loans for independents, business owners, etc.
I also volunteer with an organization called “Hispanic Alliance” and deliver trainings and presentations to help the hispanic community to improve their personal finances through relevant education.
I am married , with 2 Children. One already finished school with a major in Finance and currently working for an international bank in Jacksonville and the other still in school as a junior pursuing a Marketing degree.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In a journey to a successful career and life, there is no such a thing as a smooth road. I have found many challenges along the way., but I strongly believe in 3 principles: Resilience never give up and to stand up when you fall., constant self improvement (the best investment is in yourself), and willingness to take calculated risks.,
My best example was when I decided to transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur., I experienced some failures due to entering into unkown territories, also extra difficulties inherent to small companies like funds, support staff, etc. but I believe that every risk I took in my career paid over.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Motto Mortgage Resolute?
Motto Mortgage Resolute is a Mortgage Broker operation., Currently, we serve South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.
We evaluate and preapprove our clients, based of their objectives: home purchase, investment, land purchase, construction, etc. and then we search among our group of mortgage banks, investment companies and lenders the best loan product match for the client., and then we help the client navigate through all the process between approval to closing and disbursement. We represent and support the borrower, and not the lender.
We are capable to find loans that can be better, cheaper and faster than some traditional lenders.
Our main difference is the personalize service that usually goes beyond the loan itself, so we help our clients to obtain the necessary documents that lenders require, solve several questions and doubts they might have, we choose the best loan possible from our portfolio of lenders and most important, we are fast. We have closed loans in less than 4 weeks.
My key recommendation to anyone thinking about buying a home is to call us and obtain a preapproval before looking for the house. In this way, you will know in advance how much of a house price you can look for and will not waste your time looking for a house out of your range or buying a house below what you could qualify. Getting the preapproval does not have any cost and does not mean that you are committed to work with us.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Many people deserve credit along my career., I have learned from every boss I ever had some of them have mentored me along the way. Many of those mentores I thank them for helping me improve my soft skills , like communication, navigating through corporate culture and leadership.
I also, believe in the concept that says: surround yourself with people that are where you want to be, and seek advise from people that are successful in the fields you want to be successful. I think that networking is very important, not only because of the business you can obtain, but mostly because of what you learn from the people you meet.
Definitely, I owe a lot to the support I´ve always had from my wife and family. her advise has been always very valuable and has forced me to look situations from different angles and evaluating family impact, to finally take the best possible decision. Even more, when taking some riskier steps like changing countries or become independent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mottomortgage.com/offices/resolute-travelers-rest/fernando-byrne
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FbyrneMortgage
