TMG The Mortgage Group has tapped industry veteran Mark Squire to support its executive team in a strategic capacity, with his role set to begin May 1.
With more than 35 years in the banking and mortgage sectors — including 18 years at CIBC, roles at National Bank, Manulife and Paradigm Quest, and more than six years as president and COO of Verico — Squire said he has long gravitated toward building and executing strategic plans.
Now, roughly six months after stepping down from Verico, he said the opportunity with TMG will allow him to return to that strategic focus.
“At CIBC, my roles were about execution of the plans that were given to us by the powers that be, and when I went to National Bank I was in charge of the broker market, so I actually had to build the strategic plan with the team, and that carried through to Manulife, my brief stint at Paradigm and Verico,” Squire tells Canadian Mortgage Trends. “I think that has really prepared me for this type of role.”
Though his title is not yet defined, both sides say the role will centre on working alongside TMG’s leadership team on strategy and growth initiatives, with a shared emphasis on a people-first approach.
“I gravitate towards like-minded people,” Squire says. “TMG is highly regarded in the industry, I think our values align, and I think we’ll have fun.”
How Squire landed at TMG
After his departure from Verico, Squire says he engaged in conversations with numerous organizations across both the broker and lender sides of the industry as he considered his next move.
“I was looking for a new opportunity that was going to challenge me and allow me to utilize the skills and attributes that I have, and this opportunity invites me to do that,” he said. “Sometime around Christmas I sat down with [TMG CEO] Mark [Kerzner], and we talked about some of their strategic plans and initiatives, and how I could support them, and it grew from there.”
Though he’s never worked directly with TMG, Squire says he’s been familiar with its leadership team since joining National Bank’s Mortgage Broker Services division in 2008.
“I used to go to their events as a lender, I used to go on their trips and to their conferences and stuff like that, and I was always very impressed with how they’re very close-knit, but also professional,” he says. “They want to succeed, but they want to see their people succeed first, and if their people succeed, then they succeed. That’s where I see TMG really walking the walk.”
Aligning over a people-first mindset
That people-first approach has always been a hallmark of Squire’s leadership style, making him an obvious fit for TMG’s executive team, according to CEO Mark Kerzner. “His values align with our values — operating with integrity, a broker and customer-first mindset, respect for the lenders, respect for the channel.”
Kerzner said the TMG Group of Companies has grown significantly in recent years and expects Squire to be instrumental in identifying new opportunities as the company enters its next phase.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished, especially over the last number of years, so how do we leverage that momentum? That’s really where he’s bringing his seniority, his expertise, his relationships, his integrity — the whole package,” Kerzner says. “I already feel like we have the strongest leadership team in the industry. Now we’re a little bit stronger.”
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Last modified: April 22, 2026