Seven Years of Integrity, Impact, and Trust: A Message from BlackFin Group’s Founder

On January 1st, 2026, BlackFin Group proudly celebrated a significant milestone—our seven-year anniversary. Seven years of serving lending teams across the country. Seven years of partnering with national, regional, and community banks, credit unions, and independent mortgage bankers.And seven years of doing things differently—by design.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Clients

First and foremost, to our current and former clients: thank you.

Thank you for trusting BlackFin Group with your most critical business initiatives. Whether it was strategy, capital markets and agency lending, technology selection and implementation, IT professional services, M&A advisory, or executive training—your trust is something we never take lightly.

In just seven years, we’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of lending organizations nationwide, and we are incredibly proud of the relationships we’ve built and the results we’ve helped deliver.

For Those We Haven’t Met—Yet

If you haven’t had the opportunity to work with BlackFin Group, we hope that 2026 is the year we change that.

We look forward to showing you why lending teams and mortgage technology providers across the industry rely on BlackFin as a trusted advisor—one that brings real-world experience, independent insight, and results-driven execution to every engagement.

Why BlackFin Was Founded

When I founded BlackFin Group—after nearly a decade at what was once considered a leading consulting firm in the mortgage industry—I knew we’d be swimming upstream.

I had seen firsthand how much of the consulting industry measured success by billing hours, not outcomes. How some consultants quietly lived on their clients’ P&L. And how others recommended specific technology vendors not because they were the best fit—but because of reseller agreements, referral fees, or undisclosed equity stakes.

That model didn’t sit right with me then—and it doesn’t today.

Our Values Are Not for Sale

I’m proud to say that despite many opportunities and approaches over the years, BlackFin Group has never sold out its values, virtues, or principles

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From day one, this firm was built on a simple but powerful foundation:

• A “get in, get out” consulting approach

• Measuring success only by client satisfaction—not billing hours

• Delivering the industry’s very best experts, not generalists

• Maintaining complete independence—with zero reseller fees, kickbacks, or conflicts of interest

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These principles are not marketing slogans. They are how we operate—every engagement, every client, every time.

The Team That Makes It Possible

Today, I couldn’t be more proud of the BlackFin team.

Our consultants represent the very best in the industry—professionals with the highest levels of integrity, service standards, and real-world experience. They’ve lived in your shoes, understand your challenges, and are selflessly committed to your success.

If there’s one thing we’ve ever been accused of, it’s this: We might care too much. And honestly—I’m perfectly okay with that.

95% Success Rate

I’m proud to say that ninety-five percent of our clients, where there are subsequent phases recommended for a project, BlackFin is invited back for the next phase. Whether a client needs help with getting agency approval, wanting a review of their secondary strategy to optimize revenues, looking for a tech stack review or implementation.

Looking Ahead

As we enter our eighth year, our commitment remains unchanged: To help lenders make smarter decisions, reduce risk, improve profitability, and execute with confidence—without conflicts, without fluff, and without wasting time or money.

To our clients, partners, and industry peers—thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to what the future holds and to continuing to raise the standard for what mortgage consulting should be.

Here’s to the next chapter.

Keith Kemph is President & CEO of BlackFin Group, a management consulting and services firm that specializes in the banking, lending, and mortgage banking industry. Keith has dedicated his career to helping firms ensure successful execution of critical business and technology projects to help them operate more efficiently and effectively. Keith's career includes management and executive roles with Citigroup, Bank of America, Dime Bank, Merrill Lynch and nearly a decade with a traditional top tier consulting firm in the financial services industry. For more information contact info@blackfin-group.com