California MBA names Paul Gigliotti new CEO as Susan Milazzo retires

The California Mortgage Bankers Association (California MBA) announced a leadership transition on Wednesday, noting the retirement of longtime CEO Susan Milazzo and the appointment of Paul Gigliotti as her successor. Milazzo, who has served the association for two decades, will stay on as a consultant for the next year.

In her role as CEO, Milazzo dedicated her career to fostering growth, education and advocacy within the state’s real estate finance industry. Under her leadership, the association solidified its role as the voice of mortgage banking in California.

“It has been my honor to serve as the CEO for the California MBA for over 20 years, and I am very proud of the organization’s strength and resilience. Through the highs and lows of the market cycle this association has remained strong in its dedication to represent and support the California real estate finance industry,” Milazzo said. “Paul will bring his passion for expanding on the foundation I’ve built to elevate the California MBA and provide new opportunities for members and our partners.”

Gigliotti is a veteran mortgage leader with over 20 years of experience in the financial-services and technology industries. He has held executive roles for multiple mortgage lenders, growing lending platforms while streamlining internal and external operational processes. He has served on the California MBA’s Board of Directors since 2020.

“Throughout my career, whether building lenders such as Pinnacle, advancing education through AXIS, or driving innovation in technology with Prudent AI, my focus has always been on strengthening our industry and the people who make it work. Stepping into this role is an opportunity to bring those experiences together in service of our members,” Gigliotti said. “Susan has built an incredible foundation of advocacy and leadership, and I look forward to building on that legacy to ensure the California MBA remains a trusted voice and a vibrant community for all of us.”

On a recent episode of the HousingWire Daily podcast, Gigliotti described his vision to integrate his experience with both technology and lending. “I understand the challenges of lenders. I often can immediately place myself back in the seat of being a COO or even when I started in the mortgage lending industry as an originator. I’ve also touched on the innovation of solution providers as well. And while being associated with the California MBA, the importance of strong advocacy. So my goal is to unify those perspectives, to strengthen the community of the California MBA and the positioning of the California MBA as a trusted voice for our industry.”