Planet Home Lending adds Candice McNaught to its executive team

Planet Home Lending announced Thursday that it has hired Candice McNaught as senior vice president of business development and strategic initiatives for its distributed retail channel.

McNaught, a 2023 HousingWire Woman of Influence, brings more than 16 years of experience to the role. She formerly held posts at Supreme Lending and NFM Lending. In her previous role at Supreme, McNaught oversaw 200 branch locations and a national network of more than 700 loan officers.

Candice McNaught

“Planet welcomes Candice McNaught during an exciting time for our company,” Michael Dubeck, CEO and president of parent company Planet Financial Group, said in a statement. “She brings extensive industry experience, strong relationships, exceptional expertise in fostering branch and mortgage loan originator success and M&A. We’re excited to have her on board as we continue to enhance Planet’s growth and strategic initiatives.”

McNaught said she joined Planet because of its commitment to loan officers.

“Planet’s leadership is present, accessible, and committed to giving branches the tools they need to succeed, including modern products, strategic marketing support, and opportunities to grow into profitable P&L owners,” she said. “The combination of Planet’s vision, geographic opportunity, and unmatched servicing and retention capabilities made this move a clear choice for me and for branches looking to make a difference in today’s market.”

John Bosley, the company’s president of mortgage lending, complimented McNaught’s “deep understanding” of operational efficiency.

“Her leadership and strategic mindset will help branches operate more efficiently, grow their market presence, and achieve long-term success while creating meaningful opportunities for loan officers to advance their careers,” he said.

Planet Home Lending, based in Meriden, Connecticut, has 179 producing loan officers and a year-to-date volume of $1.99 billion, per Modex data. The company acquired certain retail assets from Axia Home Loans in August, news that HousingWire broke earlier that month.