Kathy Dey
Katherine “Kat” Dey is a seasoned mortgage operations leader with over 32 years of experience in the mortgage industry, beginning her career in telemarketing and steadily advancing into executive leadership. Currently serving as Director of Operations at Apex Processors, she specializes in the contract processing side of the mortgage broker industry, providing operational support across multiple brokerages. Kat brings deep expertise in conventional, government, and jumbo loan processing, underwriting, post-closing auditing, and compliance, and is known for managing high-volume pipelines with precision while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
Throughout her career, Kat has demonstrated a strong ability to drive operational excellence and scalable growth. She has held a range of leadership roles focused on quality assurance, workflow optimization, and building high-performing teams. With advanced proficiency in platforms such as Encompass, Calyx Point, PC Lender, and LIS & CORE, she leverages technology to streamline processes and create efficiencies that benefit both loan officers and processors. She is also a firm advocate for the mortgage industry as a viable and rewarding career path, emphasizing that it offers strong earning potential and long-term opportunities without requiring a traditional college degree.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kat is deeply committed to industry advocacy and community building. She serves on the Broker Action Coalition Council for the Hispanic Homeownership Chapter, where she contributes to initiatives aimed at bridging gaps and addressing language barriers in the mortgage process. As she enters this new phase of her career, she is actively dedicating time to this mission, including engagement with policymakers in Washington, D.C. Kat’s long-term vision is to create a collaborative community for contract processors—one that shifts the industry away from competition and toward shared growth, support, and collective success.
• Broker Action Coalition Council - Hispanic homeownership chapter
• Broker Action Coalition Council - Hispanic homeownership chapter
• Women's Battered Shelter volunteer
• Homeless shelter volunteer
What do you attribute your success to?
Failure is not an option. At the end of the day, there's no option other than to succeed. If Plan A, B, C, and D don't work, there's E through G. Honestly, your losses are your greatest lessons. In my opinion, that's where you learn. The wins are easy, right? It's the failures and challenges that teach you the most and drive you forward.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stick with it. You cannot allow defeat or nos to derail the goal. You have to have willingness, and you just really have to be a sponge and open to feedback and implementation. This is one of the industries where self-reflection is huge. One method may not be working, and you try another method, it eventually will click, and it will happen.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My biggest value is integrity. Respect for all is essential to me. I will always support the underdog, whether it's a minority group, whether it's female versus male, whoever is the underdog, I am naturally going to gravitate towards them. I don't believe in hierarchy, and I just want people to win across the board.