Meridian Capital Group, one of the nation’s leading commercial real estate finance, investment sales and retail leasing advisors, named Melissa Martinez as the firm’s first Chief Risk Officer, effective June 17, 2024.

Martinez has more than 20 years of experience in enterprise and compliance risk management at the intersection of finance and real estate, both domestically and internationally. She previously served as Chief Risk Officer for multiple financial institutions, including CoreLogic and OneWest Bank where she was responsible for the refinement and build-out of the company’s enterprise risk management framework and functions. As an industry veteran, Martinez is a recognized and proven leader in building out risk management capabilities that support the proactive management of risk which enables continued growth and value creation.

“We are thrilled to have Melissa join Meridian and bring her experience building the new CRO role, which will play a critical part in expanding our risk management programs as we continue our work to institutionalize Meridian and diversify our business,” said Brian Brooks, Meridian’s Chairman and CEO. “I look forward to partnering closely with her to ensure we meet the demands of an evolving risk landscape as we continue to grow.”

Martinez will oversee and bolster Meridian’s compliance and enterprise risk management framework across its business units, including commercial real estate finance, investment sales and retail leasing. She will also help further embed a strong culture of risk awareness across the firm.

“Meridian is the leader in commercial real estate brokerage and finance, and I am looking forward to using my experience to support the firm’s strategic objectives and set the gold standard for enhanced enterprise and compliance risk programs for the mortgage broker industry,” Martinez said.