The Situation:
After the mortgage crisis wiped out most independent lenders, Bill and a group of investors acquired Skyline Home Loans, a small local mortgage originator. The strategy was straightforward: build a dependable, next-generation mortgage lender from the wreckage. With backing from Upfront Ventures (formerly GRP Partners), Skyline grew into something larger: Finance of America, a diversified platform spanning mortgage origination, consumer lending, reverse mortgages, and residential transition lending.

Bill’s Approach:
Helped architect the roll-up and integration strategy that formed Finance of America from multiple acquisitions. Built governance, reporting, and compliance infrastructure suitable for public markets. Scaled multiple business lines while maintaining operational discipline. Spun off the company's point-of-sale technology, the Intelligent Mortgage Platform, which was eventually sold to Stewart Title.

The Outcome:
In April 2021, Finance of America completed its IPO, providing liquidity to shareholders and validating the long-term strategy. The timing was notable: executed during one of the most volatile periods in modern financial history in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lesson:
"Build a business that can endure. The companies that survive aren't perfect, rather they're the ones built to operate throughout different cycles."