William “Bill” Erbey: A mindset grounded in strategic foresight and systematic innovation

William “Bill” Erbey has spent the last five decades at the intersection of finance, analytics, and innovation, building a career grounded in his capacity to identify systemic inefficiencies and convert them into scalable, high-impact solutions. His work has left an undeniable mark on multiple industries, most notably in mortgage servicing and financial technology, where his contributions helped reshape how institutions approach risk, restructuring and operational optimization.

Erbey’s academic studies focused heavily on numerical analysis, equipping him with the tools to interpret complex financial systems. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Allegheny College, followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated with distinction. These credentials would prove to provide much more than academic success; they would inform his professional ethos grounded in statistical discipline, systems thinking and long-term strategic planning.

He began his career at General Electric, where he held senior roles at GE Capital and GE Mortgage Insurance. During this formative period, Erbey gained insights into the structural weaknesses of traditional financial models, particularly in how risk was managed in the mortgage industry. This experience would later form the basis for his most influential contribution to the financial services sector.

In 1987, Erbey co-founded Ocwen Financial Corporation, a company that would play a pivotal role during the 2008 global financial crisis. Under Erbey’s leadership, Ocwen became the largest servicer of high-risk residential mortgages in the United States, applying proprietary statistical models to develop sustainable modification strategies.

Ocwen’s approach proved to be both economically viable and socially impactful. Rather than pursue widespread foreclosure, the company worked directly with borrowers to structure individualized payment plans that aligned with both household income levels. This model kept hundreds of thousands of families in their homes during a period of acute national instability. The strategy ultimately influenced the design of the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), under which Ocwen executed approximately 40% of all loan modifications nationwide, more than any other servicer.

Since stepping down from Ocwen in 2014, Erbey has continued to apply his analytical framework to a range of new ventures. These companies span sectors as diverse as cryptocurrency payments, video content distribution, medical technology, and electric vehicle optimization, unified in their approach of using technology and data to solve real-world inefficiencies.

This portfolio has introduced industry firsts to the ventures’ respective sectors. For example, with crypto-to-fiat gateway ForumPay, Erbey succeeded in bringing the first in-app crypto payment solution to market in 2025. The innovative development, also compatible with recurring billing for subscription plans payable with crypto, is designed to offer a one-click solution that improves the in-app user journey, combining the flexibility, security and convenience of crypto payments with a seamless payment flow. With the ProperT Rewards Token, relaunched in 2024, Erbey designed the first fungible crypto token to offer users token-back rewards every time they shop. The asset is intended to incentivize purchases principally in the real estate sector, as well as increase the utility of cryptocurrencies as a viable payment method.

Today, Erbey is an active participant in public dialogue and discourse. Through his YouTube channel and social media platforms, he regularly shares his perspectives on entrepreneurship, economic risk and decision-making. His commentary and reflections demonstrate the intellectual discipline and clarity that have defined his career from the outset.