Chief Risk Officer for First Investors, assumed leadership of Risk operations at First investors in November 2018.  Immediately prior to joining First Investors Berend led auto lending for BBVA Compass, and had held various risk management and operations leadership roles at AmeriCredit, Triad Financial and Exeter Finance.  In 2010 Berend founded and led Bonfire Capital Group, a sub-prime lender focused on independent dealers in Texas and Oklahoma.  Mr. Berend has degrees from Texas A&M University and Texas Christian University.