RISMEDIA, April 20, 2007-The First American Corporation announced that Landon V. Taylor has been promoted to senior vice president, director of market development.
In his new role, Taylor will continue to oversee First American's nationwide strategic markets business strategy, which he launched for the company in 2003. This ongoing, enterprise-wide strategy leverages the full array of First American's corporate resources to deliver innovative business solutions that help mortgage and real estate professionals increase the rate of homeownership in the rapidly growing minority and new immigrant housing markets.
Under Taylor's leadership, First American has brought to market several innovative new products and business solutions, such as First American's Anthem alternative credit scoring solutions, which enable mortgage lenders to measure and validate the creditworthiness of loan applicants with little or no traditional credit history.
In addition to his strategic markets role, Taylor will continue to direct First American's New Market Ventures Fund, an investment vehicle he spearheaded that enables the company to invest in projects that are designed to increase the rate of homeownership in under-served markets. He also will continue to serve as president of the First American Homeownership Foundation, a focused philanthropic effort launched in 2006 that provides corporate grants to nonprofit organizations working to promote homeownership in traditionally under-served markets.
"Landon is an exceptional, visionary leader, both within our company and the industries we represent," said Craig I. DeRoy, president of The First American Corporation. "He has not only successfully designed, launched and executed our comprehensive strategic markets strategy, he has been instrumental in helping guide First American's consumer marketing and external affairs strategies. He is a tremendous asset to First American, our customers and the communities we serve."
Since joining First American in 1997, Taylor has held positions with a number of the company's subsidiaries. After two years as branch manager for First American Title Insurance Company's Santa Clara, Calif., office, Taylor was appointed Northern California regional sales manager for First American Real Estate Information Services, Inc. In 2000, he was promoted to vice president, national sales manager for First American Title's National Lenders Advantage Division. Later that same year, he was named president and chief executive officer of First American VMS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the holding company.
Throughout his tenure with the company, Taylor has been the catalyst behind several groundbreaking initiatives, programs and partnerships, including the launch of the First American-sponsored MSN Latino Finanzas, the world's largest Spanish language financial services Web portal; the appointment of a chief diversity officer for the corporation; and the formation of several partnerships with community advocates and minority trade organizations, including the Greenlining Institute, the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Taylor also played a key role in establishing First American's inaugural National Advisory Council, a panel of industry leaders from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise who provide the company with counsel regarding where its resources can best fit market needs.
In addition to his work with First American, Taylor serves on the board of directors for NAHREP; Operation HOPE, Inc.; Emerging Markets Technologies (EMT); New Vista Asset Management, Inc.; and West Angeles Ventures, a real estate development corporation specializing in redeveloping south Los Angeles. In November 2003, the National Eagle Leadership Institute (NELI) honored Taylor as one of that organization's 2003 CareerFOCUS Eagle Award winners. NELI, one of the nation's foremost leadership organizations for African-American and Hispanic/Latino professionals, presents the award annually to a select group of FORTUNE 500® executives who embody excellence in both corporate and community leadership.
About First American
The First American Corporation, a FORTUNE 500 company that traces its history to 1889, is America's largest provider of business information. First American combines advanced analytics with its vast data resources to supply businesses and consumers with valuable information products to support the major economic events of people's lives, such as getting a job, renting an apartment, buying a car or house, securing a mortgage and opening or buying a business. The First American Family of Companies, many of which command leading market share positions in their respective industries, operate within five primary business segments, including: Title Insurance and Services, Specialty Insurance, Mortgage Information, Property Information and First Advantage. With revenues of $8.5 billion in 2006, First American has approximately 2,100 offices throughout the United States and abroad.
For more information, visit www.firstam.com.
