The Road to Palm Springs
Charles “Chuck” Sanders
CEO
Urban Lending Solutions
Charles “Chuck” Sanders credits much of his success and leadership ability to his late father, a man who, with just a sixth-grade education, grew a successful trucking company and taught Chuck the importance of building and fostering relationships and behaving with integrity.
Seeing the need for a company like Urban Lending Solutions, which bundles back-room lending operations such as title searches and appraisals for larger financial institutions, Chuck embraced what he learned from his father and has subsequently doubled the company’s annual sales since 2009. Chuck recognizes that his company’s future is precarious because it is tied directly to the housing market, but he continues to seek opportunities to differentiate the company. He has embraced several key relationships to fill service gaps. For example, he worked with Fiserv to provide insight on operational efficiency and IT infrastructure. The relationships have paid off: eventually Fiserv purchased a 30% stake, providing a cash infusion that enabled him to expand his business and acquire key talent.
Today, Urban Lending Solutions employs 200 people in Chuck’s native Pittsburgh and an additional 600 in Colorado. His leadership style goes back to life lessons he learned from his parents: take care of your family, take care of your community and pass it on. A believer in giving along the way, he has started charities that maintain a high profile in his community. “I’m proud that Urban Lending Solutions is able to create jobs. That’s what everything is about right now — job opportunities and helping people by being a great corporate citizen.”
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