Leading Customer Innovation for the Last Twenty Years: Meet Kevin Marek, Training & Advisory Services Manager
In this series, we’re focused on the humans who make up Sagent. We’re fortunate to have a team that is constantly evolving – both professionally and personally – folks from all over the world who bring a variety of experience, education, and perspectives to advance our challenging mission. We’re excited to introduce you to some of these talented people who make Sagent a vibrant, productive community.
Tell me about your family, pets, where you live, and anything else you’d like to share about your life to help people get to know you.
I was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, and I’ve never left. One fun fact about South Bend: The Sagent product, LoanServ, originated in this area. I am the oldest out of four siblings who all still live within 5-10 minutes of each other. I have three children, identical twin boys who are currently attending their second year at Purdue University, and a daughter who is a sophomore in high school with interests in art, animals, and tennis. We also have two puppies, Minnie, a ‘puggle’ part pug, part beagle rescue, and Lilo, a Boston Terrier.
What are your hobbies?
I consider myself an outdoorsman. I always enjoy hunting, fishing, and going for hikes. My family and I have set goals to visit as many national parks as possible. Last year, we toured parts of Alaska, and this past summer, I was able to witness an actual volcanic eruption on the island of Hawaii! I also enjoy playing tennis and golf, going to the gym, and running races, although I usually limit myself to 5-10k.
After 10 years in 4-H, I now assist and volunteer with my children in the same program. I am also a theatre dad who enjoys designing and building props and scenes.
What are your favorite movies, music, or TV shows?
I’m typically a fan of all movie genres, including anything from action and adventure to sci-fi, or comedy. For music, I enjoy anything with a good dance beat. For TV shows, as a family, we enjoy watching The Amazing Race. I also enjoy shows like Yellowstone or Reacher.
Tell me about any notable accomplishments that you’re proud of.
Throughout my years with Sagent, I have received four different star awards. The most recent was the first ever “Respectful” value award. However, my favorite accomplishment has been helping raise my three children and seeing them grow to succeed.
What is your educational background?
My financial technology education started in high school with a Computer Aided Design (CAD) class. By my senior year, I was teaching the CAD class. I studied at Purdue and received a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems technology. This was a focus that threw multiple tech elements at you like programming, analyst, databases, and security. I also received an associate’s degree in organizational leadership.
What was your first “real” job?
During high school, I started working for my father at the local construction signage company. Yes, I was one of the guys causing drivers loads of frustration and headaches by placing out those orange barrels and closing off roads. During winter break, I worked as a seasonal staff member at JCPenney. The construction industry taught me the value of hard work and determination, while the retail sector taught me the importance of customer service and patience.
How did you get into mortgage fintech?
I was graduating from college and started looking for technology companies in the South Bend area. I happened upon a company called ‘Fiserv’, which would later be known as Sagent, that was looking for a business analyst. I thought to myself, why not? Little did I realize that I’d still be with that same company twenty-three years later!
I was graduating from college and started looking for technology companies in the South Bend area. I happened upon a company called Fiserv … Little did I realize that I’d still be with that same company twenty-three years later!
Tell me more about your career journey. Highlight a particularly positive or negative experience and what you learned from it.
Unfortunately, one of the most negative experiences I’ve had was with a manager who yelled at me in a meeting. Not just raising a voice, but aggressively yelling in a way that was belittling, mean, and condescending. From then on, I knew that I would NEVER do that to anyone that I worked with. I was thrown into learning some tools and utilities without any training and had a ‘trial by fire’ approach. While not always ideal, it did help me to become more self-sufficient and have a willingness to learn new things on my own. However, this also prompted me to create customer-focused engagements like Sagent 360, Ignite, HOT (Hands-on Training), and much more. I never want our customers to feel alone on an island. Sagent is here to help, and we will support the customers in every way we can.
What does your “day to day” look like in your role at Sagent?
My primary role is to help manage the highly specialized Training & Advisory Services team, which conducts training on the products, but also provides consulting, best practices, and processes reviews. I also directly support the sales and marketing teams by helping build out and support customer engagements like Ignite & HOT. I provide Sagent 360 customer sessions and directly support and help our CSM (customer success managers) with our customers. I also consult on our workflow tools, customer support, and products. In my spare time, I review Dara and assist with testing and reviewing the new interface.
What is it about your job that motivates or challenges you?
There is always a new request or a new task to review. The motivation to help the customers either by teaching something or providing problem-solving solutions drives me to approach each task with a fresh set of eyes and expectations.
The motivation to help the customers either by teaching something or providing problem-solving solutions drives me to approach each task with a fresh set of eyes and expectations.
In your opinion, what is the greatest impact of building cloud-native servicing technology?
The use of a true cloud-native servicing system has numerous benefits and positive impacts within the industry. One of my favorites, though, is how it encourages a flexibility of partner integration. Cloud-native technology helps eliminate reliance on a single provider, reducing vendor lock-in risks and offering customers the flexibility to choose and move between providers as needed. This allows for more options and more partnerships to flourish in space.
What excites you about Sagent’s mission to lead the evolution in loan servicing by solving its most complex challenges?
I’ve been with the LoanServ product for over 23 years now. I’ve seen numerous changes and evolutions within the company’s product, but this next chapter is by far the most exciting to be a part of. We are building a completely new servicing solution that will propel our customers and the industry ahead into the next evolution of financial technology servicing. It is not just addressing one challenge here or there; it addresses ALL OF THEM!
When you think about Sagent’s values of “Relentless, Relevant, Respectful and Reliable” which of those resonates with you most?
Our four values make Sagent the leader in the mortgage technology industry.
Relentless is the act of not giving up. I always work to keep striving and do the right thing, making sure our customers are taken care of. I’m always willing to take that extra step to make sure the customer experience is always 5-stars.
Relevant is using my knowledge and experience level. I apply my years of experience with Sagent products, specializing in a few various utilities and tools, but I also help manage and support a whole team of training and advisory professionals. One of my favorite sayings is “I may not have all the answers, but I know who does!” By reaching out to the right people, knowing how to ask the right questions, and applying the information correctly, my team and I are able to provide a high level of service for our customers.
I strive to be reliable and take the lead in engagements and interactions. I rarely say ‘no’ and I consistently promote new ideas within our organization. I am someone who can always be counted on to step forward and lead at any time.
Respectful encapsulates all the Sagent values. If you are relentless without respect, then you may be perceived as pushy or overly oppressive. If you are relevant without respect, then you can be seen as a ‘know-it-all’ or not a team player. If you are reliable without respect, then even when you are available, the element of trust or quality in your work is called into question. Being respectful in all cases is, in my mind, the most important value of them all.
Being respectful in all cases is, in my mind, the most important value of them all.
What is your experience with Sagent’s culture? What is your favorite thing about working for Sagent?
Everyone who asks me how it is to work for Sagent gets a smile and a similar answer: It is a family. It is people who know each other and have been together for years and years. Our family is close, we help each other, we know how to work hard, but we also know how to have fun. Our family-type environment drives our customers and partners to share the same mindset. My favorite thing is meeting customers and giving someone a well-needed smile. I work hard to make sure our customers feel heard, appreciated, and taken care of.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
So, I know there are a few of you who have been reading this, waiting to hear something about my rumored love of dancing and the many costumes that I’ve been known to wear. I love to have fun on the dance floor and go all out for a theme night. That is why IGNITE is one of my favorite events of the year! Stay tuned to find out the IGNITE 2025 theme!
We often ask a colleague to offer a quick blurb about our Sagent Standout, and Sean Siefried, Director, Customer Training & Advisory, had this to say about Kevin.
For those who have had the opportunity to work with Kevin, you know how customer focused he is. The only thing he is more passionate about at Sagent are his colleagues, particularly the team he manages. Kevin embodies the Sagent Values: reliable, relevant, relentless and respectful.