Namrita (Priya) Seenath joined Sagent as Chief of Staff to the CTO in January 2023. She is responsible for: Strategic Support, Business Operations, Cross Functional Collaboration, Budget and Resource Management, Performance Tracking and Reporting & Talent management. Prior to joining Sagent Priya was a Servicing Executive at Freedom Mortgage within the Residential Servicing Division.
In this role, Priya was responsible for areas within the Servicing organization with a strong focus on data integrity, process improvement, compliance, and customer experience. With 25+ years of experience, Priya has held several roles that included the oversight of GSE/MI Relations, Client Relations & Production Support that included product support, new client implementation and sales support. She spent several years at organizations that included JP Morgan Chase & Lender Processing Services. Her primary focus while in those roles were to establish, manage, and maintain strategic relationships while providing the best service to its customers. Priya enthusiastically leads to exceed business goals while fostering a desirable work environment. She works hard to create a culture of integrity and inspires excellence at all levels.
What makes Priya powerful as a mortgage executive is her ability to always show clear and concise intention, her agility and speed to execute, how she challenges the status quo, and she is always making herself and her whole team relevant. She can transform problems into challenges and ultimately finds the best solution for both her firm and the customer. What makes Priya powerful as a champion for her customers is her desire to do the right thing. Her integrity, intentions to do what is right, her drive for efficiency, her love to inspire people, is a lifestyle. It’s not something she decides to do, it is her. The most important piece of advice she received was to be yourself and to never stop learning.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Priya shared her professional trajectory, insights on diversity and inclusion, personal role model, significant career milestone, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Priya. Can you walk us through your background and what you’re most passionate about in your work?
Transplanted from Trinidad and Tobago to the US, I have more than 25 years of experience in the banking and mortgage industry, specifically in data quality, customer experience and process improvement. Prior to joining Sagent in early 2023, I served as SVP of Servicing at Freedom Mortgage where I played an integral role in not only the growth of their portfolio, but really was a key contributor and advocate in operational excellence.
At Sagent, I pride myself on being instrumental in implementing improved processes and efficiency to deliver the best product and customer service experience to every Sagent customer. This includes helping deliver Sagent’s successful launch of Dara, the first mortgage software platform to unify all data and user experiences for servicers and homeowners across the entire servicing lifecycle, while simultaneously maintaining and improving our current tech stack for users.
But what drives me to continue innovating and creating positive outcomes for our customers are the exact challenges that I face every day to ensure that the customer experience is unforgettable. I live on the front lines and am always ready to solve any challenge of any size because I truly believe that everything has a solution once you set your mind to it.
What aspects of your current role bring you the most joy and fulfillment?
My joy comes from seeing my team and colleagues grow and flourish in their careers. I thrive on mentorship and truly enjoy helping people find their potential, which results in a prospering organization. But it doesn’t just stop there. I also love to take the extra step to cultivate external relationships with customers and partners, making sure they feel heard and taken care of.
I believe that we are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with, and when an organization has a culture where leaders take the time to communicate with their people and listen to their needs, it can only result in positive outcomes and growing success.
What impact do you believe increased diversity and inclusion would have on innovation, creativity, and progress in your industry?
A diverse team brings a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and skills, which can lead to more creative problem-solving and fresh insights into complex issues. This is particularly valuable in mortgage servicing, where customer needs are varied and often nuanced, requiring tailored solutions.
When inclusion is prioritized, it fosters an environment where team members feel empowered to share ideas without fear of judgment. This openness not only enhances team collaboration but also accelerates the process of developing customer-first products and services that reflect the diverse backgrounds of the people mortgage servicers aim to help.
For mortgage servicing specifically, a more diverse and inclusive approach could lead to the creation of more equitable solutions, reaching historically underserved communities. It could also enhance regulatory compliance by ensuring servicers are attuned to a wider variety of customer needs and potential challenges. Overall, by fostering diversity and inclusion, mortgage servicing companies position themselves to be more innovative, responsive, and resilient in a rapidly evolving industry.
What leadership qualities and skills do you believe are essential for driving growth and transformation, and how do you embody those qualities in your own leadership style?
My perspective on effective leadership is a balanced blend of being in charge and taking care of those in your charge. One cannot truly exist without the other, and both are essential for a leader to be successful as they are continually shaping their environment to help support exceptional outcomes for their team.
Being in charge doesn’t necessarily mean wielding authority; it means taking responsibility for the outcomes, whether they are good or bad. It involves setting the vision, creating a strategy, and guiding your team towards achieving common goals. And to do all those things, you must be communicating openly and effectively. Communication doesn’t require a superior title or leadership position, but it does require effort and accountability from all to move the needle.
For my personal leadership style, I find that leading with empathy in my everyday practice is what cultivates strong, successful teams. I understand that each person that I work alongside (see how I didn’t say ‘works for me’…) needs specific accountability for their specific roles. During each of my calls, I always make sure that I take the time to ask how they’re doing, if there’s anything I can help or support with — plus I end the call with positive and constructive feedback to help empower them for their next challenge.
Who has been a personal role model or mentor to you throughout your career, and what qualities or characteristics have you admired or emulated?
My personal and life-long mentor has been my mother. Her spirit and drive are so inspiring, and I’m grateful for her tenacity and opportunistic mentality which has been instilled in me since the very beginning. She is someone who has the highest level of determination and does not settle for less. She is who I dedicate my drive and motivation to when it comes to setting my mind to complete what’s in front of me and to continue overcoming any and all challenges.
She taught me to look at roadblocks as opportunities, to learn from others and to continue finding ways to learn and grow, go after what I want, all while being kind and humble in your pursuit of success.
What has been your most career-defining moment that you are proud of?
Although everyday working in this industry can be a career-defining moment, there is one that sticks out. There was a situation where I truly felt and understood what it meant to help realize a customer’s homeownership dreams, and to keep them in their home. A customer was experiencing a hardship, and I took it upon myself to personally walk them through the process and make sure they felt listened to and cared for given the sensitivities. I guided them to the right people/processes that they would need to be able to overcome the hardship, but also stayed very closely connected to them until I knew that their needs were resolved, resulting in the most rewarding outcome.
Helping this individual in this tough situation was beyond rewarding, and in that moment, it reminded me the importance of why we do what we do in our industry, and how positive our impact is to help real people in real situations stay in their homes. And that is powerful enough to define my career and what it means to work in this industry.
How do you keep your mind healthy and stay resilient? And how do you motivate your team?
I always block time for myself to take a minute between meetings. In a role that requires a majority of my time and energy, I know the importance of taking a step back to calm my mind. I also make sure to take my PTO to recharge. And although that is hard for me to do because I’m someone who thrives on working and working hard, I know that once I have a reset, I can deliver even better outcomes when my mind is clear and relaxed.
As for my team (and the entire organization), I take it upon myself to put together a monthly internal communications called “Mission Moments: Empowerment from Priya.” It’s an opportunity for me to share all the good that’s happening in our company and industry, while also sharing motivation that can help us continue our upward momentum. A simple tactic, but yet highly effective for teams that are looking for a little something extra to keep them moving forward toward our collective goal.
What is your favorite quote?
Don’t be the same, be better.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In the next five years, I would envision myself as a key driver in scaling and refining our operations to make them more agile, efficient, and innovative. My focus would be on fostering a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that processes align closely with our strategic goals, and enabling the team to meet ambitious targets. I’d aim to create a sustainable foundation for growth, supporting expansion into new markets or service areas and ensuring that it aligns with our mission as an organization.
Longer term, I would aspire to transition into a CEO role or a similar top executive position, where I can leverage my operational insights to shape broader organizational strategies and growth.
What message or advice would you give to young women or girls who are interested in pursuing a career in tech?
To young women interested in tech, my message is to go for it and own your journey. Tech is an incredibly dynamic field with limitless opportunities, and your unique perspective is an asset. Seek out mentors, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes, for every challenge is a learning experience.
Build a strong foundation in problem-solving and critical thinking and remember that resilience is key. The tech industry needs diverse voices to shape the future, so be bold, network widely, and know that there’s a place for you to thrive and make an impact.