A numbers person since before he can remember, Cross Country Mortgage vice president Kevin Holmes also tries to nurture the human dimension of what can be a very “black and white” industry. “In mortgage lending, I build strong relationships with my clients,” he remarks. “I advocate for them, and I know about their families and passions.”

Holmes got his start in banking at Merrill Lynch and has since started his own branch of Cross Country, which he says has allowed him to continue to put clients over the bottom line. “They are never a loan number,” he insists. “I’m able to put relationships at the center of everything I do.”

With more than $100 million in loans at his own branch, which has been recognized eight times on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private businesses, Holmes attributes his success to his client-focused strategy. “Mortgages are difficult,” he says. “It’s my job to ensure a clear, fast and easy process where every customer gets the mortgage they deserve.”

When he isn’t expanding his business and hitting record-breaking lending numbers, Holmes enjoys participating in a variety of types of philanthropic work. “I’m proud to donate to worthy organizations such as St. Jude and the Wounded Warrior Project,” he says.

Holmes is also a proud husband of 15 years and a father to his 11- and 14-year-old boys. He enjoys sharing in all their successes, he says, “whether that be at school on the baseball field or ju-jitsu mat.”