Chris Bennett began his career as a trader at the age of 15 in the commodities futures markets, starting with a small stake he had saved up from mowing lawns in the neighborhood. After receiving his degree in economics from the University of Michigan, Chris began a 30-year career in mortgage banking as a trader with a mid-sized bank and later as head of Capital Markets for a nationwide independent mortgage company. In 2001 he founded the hedge advisory firm Vice Capital Markets, now in its third decade of service to mortgage lenders of all types and sizes across the country. Today, one in every 15 mortgages originated in the US are traded by Vice Capital or hedged using its proprietary software.
Kim has almost 30 years of mortgage banking experience and has been part of the Vice Capital team since 2003, managing Vice Capital’s daily position reporting. She previously held multiple positions at Homestead USA, including oversight of day-to-day operations of the secondary marketing department. Kim received her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in 1992 and began her career as a loan processor for First Central Mortgage. Kim and her husband have 3 children and she enjoys spending her free time practicing yoga, hiking with her dog and vacationing with friends and family.
Troy Baars joined Vice Capital in 2008 and has over 25 years of mortgage banking experience. Prior to Vice Capital, he served as senior vice president of correspondent lending at Universal Savings Bank and spent time in multiple positions at Washtenaw Mortgage, starting in underwriting and ending as VP of secondary marketing responsible for the day-to-day management of the mortgage pipeline, closing and post-closing. After completing his term of service in the Air Force, Troy earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State University and his MBA from Wayne State University with a concentration in finance.
Shawn Ansley joined Vice Capital in 2005 after earning a master’s degree in applied and computational mathematics from the University of Michigan. He is responsible for execution modeling, fallout analysis and the development of new reporting processes for clients. Shawn also runs quantitative analytics at Vice Capital and leads the development team in the implementation of numerous cutting-edge APIs. Shawn also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Westminster College. Shawn married his lovely wife Shawna in 2009 and they have two children that they are very proud of, Azaleah and Griffin. Both kids are very active and fill Shawn’s evenings and weekends with all kinds of fun activities. Shawn is an avid outdoorsman and when he can find spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing and camping.
David Horn has been part of the Vice Capital team since 2008. With more than a decade of software development and database management experience, David uses his combination of computer programming and finance skills to develop and update tools for Vice Capital’s reporting and pricing systems. As both a systems analyst and senior trader, he continues to maintain and update those systems while also hedging and whole loan trading for Vice Capital’s clients. David holds bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science from Michigan Tech University, an MBA from Spring Arbor University, and a master’s degree in applied economics and Graduate Certificate in finance from Eastern Michigan University. He spends most of his spare time helping his wife Holly raise their five adopted children and herding goats.
John Downey is an industry veteran with nearly 30 years of mortgage banking experience. Prior to joining Vice Capital in 2011, John spent 9 years at Republic Bank, serving as an accountant and secondary market analyst before spending 6 years as VP of secondary marketing for Capital Mortgage Funding. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Central Michigan University. Outside of work, when he isn’t spending time with his wife Annette, John can often be found at Garland Golf Resort or riding the ORV trails of Northeast Michigan.
Danny Enright has been at Vice Capital since 2012 and has been a Senior Trader since 2016. He brings over a decade of secondary market experience to Vice Capital’s TBA, whole loan and specified pool trading teams and was named a 2021 Rising Star by Mortgage Professional America. Additionally, Danny is responsible for reporting fallout analytics directly to the Chief Information Officer. A three-sport athlete at Oberlin College, Danny earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics in 2012 and obtained his MBA with a finance concentration in 2018 from Wayne State University.
Will Mikkelsen has been with Vice Capital since 2015 after graduating from Central Michigan University. Prior to his senior trader position, he was part of Vice Capital’s Junior Trader program and has had a variety of roles in the company. In 2022, Will graduated from the inaugural Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association (MMLA) Future Leaders Program. Will currently resides in South Lyon, Michigan with his fiancé Kellie and in his free time, he enjoys golfing and weightlifting.
Greg Drury joined Vice Capital in 2015 and has more than 25 years of experience in mortgage banking. Before Vice Capital, he served as assistant vice president of secondary marketing at MiMutual for 6 years. Greg has also held positions in investor relations, sales, operations, lock deck supervision and hedge advisory. His passion for the mortgage world comes from his father who dedicated his life to the business. Greg is married and has two children. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, hunting, fishing, kayaking and exploring the woods in northern Michigan.
Chris Falkner has been a member of the Vice Capital team since 2016 and holds accreditations in the fields of telecommunications and information technology from AT&T and Global Information Technology (GIT), respectively. His more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry has included managing secondary operations, lock desks and rate sheet pricing. His responsibilities at Vice Capital include administering back-office functions such as daily and monthly production reports and client pair-offs. Chris has been with his wife Kristen since 2008 and his daughter Ashley has followed in his footsteps in IT as a project manager. Chris and Kristen also have 4 pets that keep them quite busy and entertained. Outside of work, Chris is an avid golfer, having won several long drive competitions. He has also played on numerous championship softball teams and enjoys downhill skiing in the Michigan winters.
Brad Heath joined the Vice Capital team in 2017 and has more than 15 years of mortgage banking experience. Having previously worked at both a regional lender and midsize bank, he also has experience in underwriting, closing and servicing. At Vice Capital, Brad is involved in daily operations from hedging to whole loan sales with a particular focus in trading pools. Outside of work, Brad enjoys spending time at the golf course or on a boat.
David Jimenez joined Vice Capital in 2017 and assists with all day-to-day trading operations. He is also responsible for making sure all investor execution and delivery fees are up-to-date and accurate. David holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Michigan State University. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, detailing cars and investing in tech and fixed income ETFs.
Nick Kirk joined Vice Capital in 2019, bringing his passion for technology and extensive experience as a developer and consultant specializing in application development and data analytics to the mortgage banking industry. Prior to Vice Capital, he focused on helping companies develop technology innovations and integrations. Nick has a degree in software engineering and in his spare time, he loves spending time with his family, playing music, skydiving and base jumping.
Brandon Scott has been at Vice Capital Markets since 2021 and as a junior trader, his responsibilities include generating fallout details for clients. Brandon graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. In his free time, Brandon enjoys golfing, playing piano and spending weekends at the lake.
