Stewart National Title Services creates a new multinational title services unit and adds two veteran international business development professionals

Stewart National Title Services, a division of Stewart Title Guaranty Company, announced today the addition of two of the title industry’s most experienced international business development professionals: Mitch Creekmore and David Wiesley, and the formation of a new title services unit, the Multinational Title Services Group, that will specialize in providing title services to companies that routinely purchase and sell commercial real estate in more than one country.

“Over the past few years, it has become apparent that the commercial real estate industry has become a global business, and we are seeing more transactions that involve properties located in several countries,” said Paul Sands, executive vice president and director of Stewart National Title Services. “By creating the Multinational Title Services Group and adding two expert international business development specialists, Stewart Title has assembled a unique team of business development, underwriting and other title professionals who understand the special needs of multinational real estate developers, investors and their attorneys and advisors.”

The Multinational Title Services Group will be based in New York City, and led by Bruce Hawley, industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in almost all aspects of the title insurance industry. Hawley is senior vice president and senior underwriting counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company, and was formerly the manager of Stewart’s New York Metro National Title Services office. Hawley joined Stewart in 2000 after serving in a number of senior management and underwriting positions with other title insurance companies. Hawley is a graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut and the University of Detroit Law School. He is also a retired brigadier general from the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Hawley will continue to report to Sands.

Joining Hawley in the Multinational Title Services Group as multinational business development officers will be two of title industry’s leading international business development professionals, Mitch Creekmore and David Wiesley. Creekmore, who is also a senior vice president of Stewart Title Guaranty Company, was formerly with Stewart’s International Group, and will continue to be based in Houston. With more than 24 years of experience as a commercial and residential real estate broker in Texas and almost 15 years of “boots on the ground” experience in developing title insurance business in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, Creekmore is a frequent and sought-after speaker at international real estate conferences. Creekmore has written numerous articles and, with real estate columnist Tom Kelly, has co-authored two books on owning real estate in foreign countries. His latest book, Cashing in on a Second Home in Central America, was released in March 2007. Creekmore is a graduate of Louisiana State University, fluent in Spanish and holds a Certified International Property Specialist designation from the National Association of Realtors®, a distinction held by less than 3,000 people worldwide.

Also joining the Multinational Title Services Group as vice president and multinational business development officer will be David Wiesley. Like Creekmore, Wiesley also has more than 15 years of experience in meeting the title insurance needs of commercial real estate developers and investors doing business in foreign countries. Together with several partners, Wiesley was responsible for introducing and registering the first title insurance policies with the Mexican government. Previously a principal with First Mexico Group, a San Diego-based risk management services company for Mexican real estate, and the director of Mexican operations of First American Title Insurance Company in Mexico City, Mexico, Wiesley is well-versed in the intricacies of providing title insurance in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Born and raised in Mexico and fluent in Spanish, Wiesley is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. He will be based in San Diego, California. Both Wiesley and Creekmore will report to Hawley.

“We are very pleased to have these two highly experienced international title professionals as part of Stewart Title Guaranty Company,” said Michael B. Skalka, president, managing director of Global Underwriting Services for Stewart Title Guaranty Company. “Both have time-tested working relationships with U.S. and foreign real property developers, lenders and their attorneys, tax specialists, surveyors and other experts. Teamed up with our company’s global underwriting resources, Mitch, David and our new Multinational Title Services Group will be able to offer multinational customers a full array of title services, not only in the United States, Mexico and Central America, but just about anywhere in the world.”