Driving the Next Era of Servicing Technology: Meet Gared Parker, Director of Dara Implementations
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 am married with four children and four grandchildren. We also have two dogs and six chickens. My wife is from Brazil and works as a nurse, and we have called Argyle, Texas home since 2003. Before Texas, I grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where sports were a big part of my life—especially soccer and basketball. Growing up there also made me a lifelong fan of Colorado teams, including the Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, and Rockies. I still love getting back to the mountains whenever I visit Colorado.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy CrossFit, playing sports, and golfing—not necessarily in that order. I also love spending time with my grandchildren. Even though they are still toddlers, being a grandpa is one of the best things ever.
Do you do any volunteer work or have a soft spot for any charity in your community?
I do quite a bit of volunteer work through our local church, and I’m passionate about supporting the homeless community. I believe society can do more to help people who may be facing mental health challenges, addiction, or other difficult circumstances find stability, rehabilitation, employment, and housing. In today’s economy, I also think the line between having a home and becoming homeless can be much thinner than many people realize.
What are your favorite movies, music, or TV shows?
I enjoy anything related to Star Wars, and I also like the original Superman movies. Some of my favorite movies include Hoosiers, Remember the Titans, Back to the Future, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. For music, I love ‘70s and ‘80s music, along with Brazilian Bossa Nova.
Tell me about any notable accomplishments that you’re proud of.
As a teenager, I earned the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in Boy Scouts. Later, when my children were young, I served as a Scoutmaster and earned the Wood Badge Award, which is the highest leadership training recognition in Scouting. I am very proud of both accomplishments.
Do you have a role model? If so, tell me about them.
My grandfather was my role model. He was one of the finest men I have ever known—kind, welcoming, and respectful to everyone he met. He treated people with the same level of dignity regardless of their circumstances, and kindness was truly his greatest attribute.
What is your educational background?
I earned my bachelor’s degree in business management in 2003. I attended three different colleges before completing my degree, partly because I was still figuring out the right path for me. I have always enjoyed helping and mentoring people and working as part of a team, so management ultimately felt like a natural fit.
Tell me more about your career journey. Highlight a particularly positive or negative experience and what you learned from it.
My first real job was with American Express as an Account Manager. I started shortly after getting married, so it felt like life was beginning to fall into place. American Express was such a well-known company that I loved telling people where I worked. At the time, I had no idea that role would lead me into a long-term career in financial services.
While I was at American Express, my team transitioned into MoneyGram, a money transfer business. This gave me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally in an emerging industry now commonly known as “wire remittances.” I worked with MoneyGram International until 2006, overseeing the Latin America territory and traveling frequently throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. My territory was one of the fastest-growing areas, and that experience gave me the opportunity to learn Spanish, which I remain fluent in today. I also grew from managing territories to managing the Caribbean department, which led me to move to Miami in 1998.
How did you get into mortgage fintech?
After my time at MoneyGram, Computer Sciences Corporation needed a contractor with financial services experience to provide consulting support for several large mortgage servicing banks. I started as a contractor working on a SaaS buildout in the Loss Mitigation space, focused on workflow and solicitations. After a few years, I became a full-time employee, and that opportunity ultimately launched the next chapter of my career in mortgage fintech.
What does your “day to day” look like in your role at Sagent?
As Director of Dara Implementations, my day includes many touch bases with my implementation team as well as client meetings. Between meetings, I focus on supporting my team and their projects by helping remove barriers, solve problems, and keep work moving forward. I am always looking for ways to streamline processes so implementations can be more efficient. I also look for opportunities to improve internal collaboration by helping the implementation team better leverage product, development, and engineering resources.
What is it about your job that motivates or challenges you?
Large SaaS implementations are complex and require dedicated project teams. Leading these projects feels a lot like coaching a team that is working toward a championship. I am motivated by helping ensure the team is prepared, using the right tools, and building the right chemistry with the client so the project can be successful.
Have you had an impactful mentoring experience, either giving or receiving?
I enjoy mentoring those around me, and my goal is to create an environment of learning and growing on my team so that everyone can achieve their goals. One of things that brings me the most satisfaction is seeing others succeed in challenging circumstances.
However, the mentoring experience that has made the most impact on me was an individual I reported to when I first started in the financial services industry. I was 23 years old and I had very little experience (and very little idea how to exhibit professionalism). Even though I was just getting started, he saw my potential and placed me in an account manager role over large strategic accounts. Even though I felt out of place, he showed me what an effective account manager looks like and how I can replicate that. I applied those skills and techniques to become a better leader, and it’s reshaped the way I approach my work every day.
In your opinion, what is the greatest impact of building cloud-native servicing technology?
In mortgage servicing, speed to market is critical because regulatory changes occur all the time. The ability to deploy enhancements and implement changes quickly helps servicers adjust their operational models and stay current with those requirements. Because these changes can be complex, having a system that can adapt with minimal implementation time and manage that complexity is extremely valuable in the servicing space.
What excites you about Sagent’s mission to lead the evolution in loan servicing by solving its most complex challenges?
The servicing industry has relied on outdated technology for too much of the past three decades. The opportunity to help streamline manual, outdated processes with technology that is modern, intuitive, and efficient is an important step toward reducing complexity and risk in a highly regulated industry. By helping solve these challenges, we can ultimately support better outcomes for borrowers, including helping them find solutions to financial hardships that may allow them to keep their homes.
When you think about Sagent’s values of “Relentless, Relevant, Respectful and Reliable” which of those resonates with you most?
Reliable resonates with me the most. Being dependable during highly visible, high-pressure projects is especially important. Knowing that others can count on you to do your job well and help drive success is both rewarding and meaningful.
What is your experience with Sagent’s culture?
I have found that working at Sagent has been beneficial for my overall professional growth. I feel like the culture allows you to be challenged and supported at the same time. The environment is respectful, which matters when you’re expressing your point of view to make a difference in work-related situations.
I especially enjoy working with the project teams. I learn from them while also supporting their success. The relationships we build help us become better together, and succeeding as a team brings a strong sense of satisfaction.