RICHMOND, VA., June 4, 2020 – Genworth Mortgage Insurance, an operating segment of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW), continues to lead the mortgage and housing industry forward through innovation, service, excellence and top talent. Mortgage Insurance Pricing Analyst Unikqua Shannon was recently named a 2020 Rising Star for her contributions to the mortgage industry by premier industry publication HousingWire.

“The first half of 2020 has been stressful and tumultuous for our country and the housing economy. This is an extremely special group of Rising Stars winners”, said Clayton Collins, CEO of HousingWire. “Not only have they demonstrated success in their careers and professions, they have also demonstrated the agility, fortitude and creativity to help lead their teams and clients through this time of change. Real leaders are made during times of crisis, and these Rising Stars will only get stronger as they help their organizations navigate toward a more successful future.”

In its seventh year, Rising Stars shines a spotlight on 50 leaders under the age of 40 shaping and propelling the mortgage, real estate and fintech industries forward. Each year, the winners represent a variety of occupations within the housing industry and this year’s list is no different. This year’s winners represent leaders in mortgage origination, real estate sales, capital markets and loan servicing. They are entrepreneurs, marketers, operations experts and technology innovators. While the winners represent a wide variety of industry functions, they all have at least one thing in common – they demonstrate leadership and innovation that inspires not only those within their own organizations, but also in their communities and in the industry at large.

Anthony Guarino, Senior Vice President of Pricing & Credit Policy, Genworth Mortgage Insurance, remarks, “Unikqua is a tremendous asset to the Pricing & Credit Policy team. She helps push Genworth forward through her work ethic, engagement with team members, and dedication to innovating our rates and guidelines testing. Unikqua’s positive outlook and drive to make meaningful contributions to the business and industry are contagious, and she is well-deserving of the Rising Stars distinction.”

Unikqua Shannon, mortgage insurance pricing analyst (Raleigh, N.C. resident)
Unikqua’s use and understanding of robotic process automation (RPA) transformed her department at Genworth Mortgage Insurance. She automated the company’s rates and guidelines testing by first teaching herself the software to code it, strategically developed workflows to provide the correct results, training her teammates on how to use the system, developing training materials and facilitating a live demo for her colleagues. As a result of her tireless efforts, the company now can test thousands of test scenarios with minimal human interaction. Now, Genworth Mortgage Insurance is able to detect issues with rates and guidelines prior to any customer interaction, resulting in a better customer service experience. Unikqua also is featured on the cover of the June issue of HousingWire.

Genworth Mortgage Insurance works closely with lenders to help borrowers achieve the dream of homeownership sooner. To learn more about Genworth Mortgage Insurance, visit new.mi.genworth.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Brittany Harris-Flowers
Genworth Mortgage Insurance
803 290.1855 (c)
Brittany.Harris-Flowers@genworth.com

About Genworth Mortgage Insurance
Genworth Mortgage Insurance, an operating segment of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW), is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, and operates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Genworth Mortgage Insurance works with lenders and other partners to help people responsibly achieve and maintain the dream of homeownership by ensuring the broad availability of affordable low down payment mortgage loans. Genworth has been providing mortgage insurance products and services in the U.S. since 1981.