Key facts
- Dark Matter Technologies appointed Salvatore Piccola as Senior Vice President of Product Strategy.
- Gil Valera was appointed Vice President of Professional Services.
- Both executives will report to Chief Product Officer Stephanie Durflinger.
- The company focuses on AI and automation in mortgage lending.
Dark Matter Technologies has expanded its leadership team with the appointments of Salvatore Piccola as senior vice president of product strategy and Gil Valera as vice president of professional services. Both executives will report to chief product officer Stephanie Durflinger.
Piccola will oversee product strategy and development for Dark Matter’s Empower loan origination solution, its integrated point-of-sale experience, and the Exchange Partner Marketplace. Valera will lead the company’s professional services and consulting organization, focusing on customer implementation, adoption, and technology consulting.
CEO Vikas Rao stated that these appointments will bolster the company's commitment to artificial intelligence and automation within the mortgage lending sector. He emphasized the transformative impact of automation and AI, envisioning a future where AI agents collaborate with human professionals to revolutionize the mortgage lending process.
Piccola brings nearly 24 years of experience from PNC, where he held roles including senior vice president and director of business innovation validation for home lending, with expertise in mortgage operations, loan closing, business systems analysis, and technology innovation. He holds an MBA in finance from Waynesburg University and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.
Valera has over 20 years of experience in professional services, mortgage technology, enterprise analytics, CRM, and consulting. He previously spent 13 years at ICE Mortgage Technology as vice president of professional services, managing presales, consulting, training, and customer success for enterprise mortgage clients. His prior experience includes leadership roles at Infor, MicroStrategy, and SAP BusinessObjects, and he began his career at Ernst & Young.