At age 20, Christy Soukhamneut was "dropped in the deep end of the pool" and found herself a mortgage president and CEO in her first job out of college.

Since those early days cutting her teeth as the leader of Marble Mortgage in Montgomery, Alabama, Soukhamneut has carved out a career that led her to several of the industry's top lending firms, including Countrywide Home Loans, Certainty Home Lending, Flagstar and Texas Capital. She has also served as a director on multiple company boards.

In 2023, her experience in mortgage led her to the role of chief lending officer at University Federal Credit Union in Austin, Texas, or UFCU, where she now is responsible for a full array of transactions beyond mortgage, including auto, commercial and small-business loans. 

Soukhamneut recently spoke with National Mortgage News on several topics, including her entry into home lending and how it paved a path toward leadership on the national stage, technology's place in the industry's future and women's growing roles in financial services. 

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.