MBA honors Brian Pounds with 2026 Commercial mPact Spotlight Award
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2026) — Northmarq’s Brian Pounds, vice president and senior manager of Portfolio and Asset Management, has been named a recipient of the Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) 2026 Commercial mPact Spotlight Award.
The annual award recognizes emerging leaders under 40 who are making meaningful contributions to their organizations, the commercial real estate finance industry and their communities through professional achievement, leadership and service.
Based at Northmarq’s Minneapolis headquarters, Pounds oversees a mortgage loan portfolio exceeding $45 billion across more than 70 life companies, institutional and private lenders while leading a 25-member team.
Known for his strategic leadership and relationship-driven approach, he has played a key role in driving innovation across the firm’s Servicing platform, contributing to more than $10 billion in new business over the past three years. Pounds also co-led the development of a financial statement analysis tool that saves more than 9,000 hours of manual data entry annually, enabling teams to focus on higher-value analysis and client service.
“Brian brings people together across teams, perspectives and priorities to solve challenges and move the business forward,” said Jen Weissberg, director of Servicing Operations & Transformation. “His leadership is defined not only by his industry expertise and strategic thinking, but by his ability to foster collaboration that earns trust, builds capability and delivers results, both inside and outside Northmarq.”
In 2022, he established Northmarq’s Denver Servicing office, building a high-performing team and implementing operational processes to support continued growth.
Beyond Northmarq, Pounds is an active and respected leader in the commercial mortgage banking and servicing industry. He served on the MBA’s mPact Servicing Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2025, serving as the Committee’s Chair from 2020 to 2021, and earned the Certified Commercial Mortgage Servicer (CCMS) designation in 2024 — the highest professional designation in commercial mortgage servicing. He is also an active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and the University of St. Thomas Real Estate Council.
Pounds is committed to mentoring future industry professionals through organizations such as Project Destined and UpTurnships. He also supports several community-focused initiatives, including the MBA Opens Doors Foundation and Aeon.
Pounds and fellow recipients will be recognized at the MBA mPact Summit in Charlotte on Aug. 5.
Read Brian Pounds’ profile here.
Related Contacts
Northmarq is one of the largest privately held commercial real estate firms in the United States, combining a nationwide presence with deep local expertise. With more than 50 offices across the country, we provide a full suite of debt, equity, investment sales, loan servicing and fund management solutions for a comprehensive range of property types. Our unique structure allows us to connect clients with the best opportunities, yet be nimble enough to ensure access to every expert across our company. The firm manages a loan servicing portfolio of over $80 billion and has completed $91.3 billion in transactions over the past four years. At Northmarq, collaboration fuels results, helping clients achieve success in every market, nationwide.