Meet Our Executive Team
Will Tumulty
Chief Executive Officer
Will began his professional career in the US Military, where he completed the United States Navy’s elite SEAL training program and served five years on active duty as a SEAL Platoon Officer at SEAL Teams ONE and FOUR.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
When he’s not guiding the Rapid Finance Team, Will enjoys mountaineering and building boats.
Terry Thornton
Chief Credit and Analysis Officer
Terry has been with Rapid Finance since 2018, currently serving as Chief Credit and Analysis Officer. Before joining Rapid, Terry spent over 20 years in the financial services industry-leading organizations covering the consumer and small business segments with deep experience in credit risk management, online and offline direct marketing, new product development, and optimizing operational efficiency at organizations such as Capital One.
Terry holds a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia. He leverages his experience in risk management, product development, and direct marketing to bring a balanced approach to leadership with a focus on seeking solutions that maximize the impact on the organization while creating opportunities for coworkers to develop as individuals and leaders.
When he’s away from the office, Terry enjoys being outdoors, be it running, bicycling, hiking, or camping. Having grown up in a military family, he has moved across the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts, with several stops in between. He currently resides in Virginia, where he lives with his wife and daughters.
Jeremy Brown
Executive Chairman
Jeremy is an original co-founder of Rapid Finance. When the company was started in 2005, he was one of just three employees. Jeremy was the CEO of Rapid until 2015 and currently serves as Executive Chairman.
Before founding Rapid, he held over 20+ years of management experience, running small and mid-sized businesses across various industries where he served in executive roles as CEO, COO, and CFO.
Jeremy is a graduate of Duke University with a degree in Economics. He is also a licensed CPA.
When he’s not presiding over the board, Jeremy enjoys spending his time attempting to play a passable game of golf, playing with his “Heinz 57” rescue dog Beauregard, and traveling with his wife Debbie.
Bogdan Nastea
Chief Technology Officer
Bogdan joined Rapid Finance in 2012 and now serves as the company’s CTO. Prior to Rapid, he held executive positions with multiple companies, and founded and successfully exited two technology ventures. He has extensive full project lifecycle experience architecting complete software suites from the ground up. Bogdan also has extensive hands-on experience including programming, software quality assurance, technology infrastructure administration, and managing end-to-end business operations.
Bogdan holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has used his experience to establish the software development, business intelligence, and application support departments at Rapid, as well as assist in modifying the end-to-end business process to help transform Rapid into an efficient, automated, and highly scalable fintech company.
Outside of leading the technology organization, Bogdan enjoys getting out on the water and volunteering as a high-performance circuit driving instructor. He currently lives in Chevy Chase, MD with his wife.
Faith Kustra
Vice President of Operations
Faith joined Rapid Finance in 2016 as the Vice President of Operations. Before she came to Rapid, Faith had 14+ years of experience in operations and underwriting, including serving as Divisional Vice President over Purchase Client Communications at Rocket Mortgage.
Faith is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds a BA in Organizational Studies and a minor in Anthropology. With 17+ years of management experience, Kustra expertly leads a team of underwriters, processors, and up-front submissions team members.
When she isn’t busy overseeing the operations team, Faith enjoys watching football and basketball, especially her favorite team and player, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Tom Brady. She also loves traveling around the country and exploring new destinations with her husband and daughter.
Darien Allen
Chief Information Security Officer
Darien joined Rapid Finance in 2007 as the IT Manager. He was since promoted to the Director of IT and currently serves as the CISO. Before joining Rapid, Darien had 9+ years of IT and infrastructure management experience.
Darien is a graduate of SUNY Albany with a degree in Computer Science. He was also certified by the US Army for tactical communications systems operation. He has used his extensive IT background to assist in the creation, implementation, and deployment of many of Rapid’s infrastructure services for both our on-premises and cloud-based environments.
As the first full-time IT hire, Allen strives to facilitate a platform that allows Rapid employees and the organization to run as optimally as possible.
When he isn’t busy leading the infrastructure support, dba, DevOps, and security teams, Darien enjoys watching his favorite sports teams, which include the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Capitals. He’s also an avid sports car enthusiast and has participated in a variety of rally and track events.
Young Kim
Chief Financial Officer
Young joined Rapid Finance in 2016 as the Vice President of Finance and now serves as the CFO. Before joining Rapid, he had 20+ years of experience in corporate finance and accounting including financial and management consulting, restructuring projects, treasury, and audit.
When he isn’t leading our finance department, Young enjoys exploring the great outdoors, with an appreciation for all of the diverse landscapes he encounters on his travel journeys.
Young holds a BS in accounting from SUNY Albany, an MBA in finance from Arizona State University, and is an active and licensed CPA in New York State. He is also a member of the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants).
Utilizing his expertise in corporate finance, he’s had the privilege of sharing his knowledge and career experiences to develop the next generation of leaders who will use finance to make tomorrow better.
Mark Cerminaro
Chief Revenue Officer
Mark joined Rapid Finance in 2007 and was named CRO in 2013. Before joining Rapid he worked as a financial advisor and associate branch manager with Morgan Stanley.
Mark is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned a BA. He received a spot on the Commercial Finance Association 40 under 40 in 2016 and is currently a member of the Forbes Business Development Council, where he connects with other senior-level executives to share business insights.
With over 16+ years of experience, Mark leverages his knowledge of strategic partnerships, business growth, partnership process, and identifying new market opportunities to oversee BD, third-party engagements, and all sales functions.
When he isn’t helping to build new teams and technology or expanding the company into new products and markets, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Margaux and their two amazing boys, Dominic and Donovan. He loves watching football and even helps coach his sons’ football teams. He and his wife also have a 503c where they raise money for Cystic Fibrosis.
Joseph Looney
Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel
Joe joined Rapid Finance in 2007 and serves as COO and General Counsel. Before joining Rapid, he worked with Hudson Cook LLP, one of the nation’s top financial services law firms.
Joe holds a law degree from the University of Maryland Law School, where he graduated with honors. Joe utilizes his extensive experience in compliance to manage all legal and regulatory compliance, risk and legal collections, and HR.
Having been with Rapid during the 2008 financial crisis, Joe is proud to have helped support and navigate his team through it and see the company grow and come back even stronger.
When he isn’t managing the compliance and collections teams, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children, as well as playing a good game of golf.
Dawn Smith Barnes
Vice President of People and Culture
Dawn joined Rapid Finance in 2007 and serves as VP of People and Culture. Dawn leverages her experience in HR, payroll, and administration to expertly lead her team in onboarding top talent while providing training and development for all leaders and team members, all while assuring satisfaction within the Rapid culture.
During her time at Rapid, her goal has been to direct the human resources infrastructure to drive long-term people strategies and practices that increase business performance and bottom line. Her mission is to be an advocate for team members and provide support and activities that foster growth, innovation, and organizational effectiveness.
Dawn holds a BS in Public Administration from James Madison University and an MS in Personnel and Human Resource Management from American University. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR).
When Dawn isn’t leading the HR team, she enjoys spending time with her husband Kevin and their amazing daughter Devin. Dawn is also very passionate about the volunteer work she does to support the Alexandria and Arlington VA community with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc®. As a dedicated alum of James Madison University, she serves on advisory boards with a focus to help fund JMU scholarships in an effort to make a strong impact on the university and its student community.
Tony Brown
Vice President of Risk Operations
Tony brings over 30 years of experience in collections, management, training, and compliance to his role as VP of Risk Operations at Rapid. Since joining Rapid in 2006 as the first collections representative, Tony has consistently taken on new challenges, progressing through the ranks to Manager of Collections, Director of Collections & Customer Service, and now his current position. His leadership has been instrumental in building processes, developing and mentoring teams across Risk, Pre-Legal, Legal, and Customer Service.
Prior to Rapid, Tony honed his skills with 16 years at Wolpoff & Abramson and Chevy Chase Bank, establishing a strong foundation in collections management. Tony credits his dedication and focus as a direct result of his service as a Marine during the Vietnam War.
When Tony isn’t driving operational excellence at Rapid, he actively participates in community events and volunteers with local help agencies. A San Diego, California native, Tony enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and, of course, soaking up the sun at the beach every chance he gets.
Chaz Wagner
Vice President of New Originations
Chaz has been a key driver of sales growth at Rapid Finance since joining the team in 2011. He began his career as a member of the sales team, becoming Director of Sales in 2019. Today, as Vice President of New Originations, Chaz leverages his expertise in sales, finance, business development and team building to lead our sales teams in achieving their production goals. In addition to his leadership role, Chaz fosters a strong collaboration between sales and development teams. He actively works with Rapid’s development teams to transform innovative concepts into successful production initiatives, ensuring a seamless experience for both customers and sales teams.
Chaz holds a BA from the University of Maryland, College Park and both an MBA and Master’s Degree in Finance from Auburn University. He serves on the board of Child Care Counts, a non-profit organization in the greater Washington DC area that provides critical child care assistance to low-income families.
Chaz enjoys watching sports, hitting the golf course and spending quality time with his family. He lives in North Potomac with his wife, two children and their two dogs.
Stephanie James
Vice President of Marketing
Stephanie joined Rapid Finance in 2022 as the Vice President of Marketing. Before joining Rapid, she was Senior Director at Mailchimp overseeing all global marketing campaigns. She has over two decades of experience in marketing, spanning industries from SaaS, telecommunications, consulting, consumer-packaged goods, and financial services.
Stephanie is a graduate of Colgate University, where she earned a BA. At Rapid, she leads the marketing function for both Rapid Finance and Rapid Enterprise, and develops and oversees all marketing strategies and communications
In her career she’s learned that marketing is more than great campaigns. The power of marketing can generate transformational business growth and the right marketing strategy can go beyond impacting brand awareness and consumer trust when paired with the right user experience, product, and channel strategies.
She and her husband have two young sons and as a family enjoy spending time outside and camping. Stephanie is also very involved in her sons’ schools, serving in leadership positions for the parent organizations.