Optimal Blue's Fuad Nasir earns HousingWire Tech Trendsetter award for advancing mortgage capital markets automation

Recognition highlights innovations that put hedging intelligence into lenders' pricing decisions and empowers clients to react quickly to market conditions

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 2, 2026 – Optimal Blue today announced that Fuad Nasir, vice president of product management for hedging and trading, has been named a winner of HousingWire's 2026 Tech Trendsetters award.

Nasir was recognized for his work helping mortgage lenders make better-informed capital markets decisions while reducing the manual effort involved in hedging and trading. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience managing pipeline risk, he has helped Optimal Blue develop technology that connects sophisticated financial analytics with the pricing and trading decisions lenders make every day. His client-centric, intentional approach to innovation is grounded in how capital markets operate: fewer disconnected systems, stronger controls, and better information where teams need it.

One example is Nasir's work leading the team supporting Hedge Cost in the PPE, which brings analytics from CompassEdge, Optimal Blue's hedging and trading platform, into its product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine. The capability allows lenders to see how an extension or pricing concession affects their hedge margins at the time the decision is made, rather than evaluating the financial impact separately.

“Fuad understands the realities of mortgage capital markets because he's spent years working directly with the challenges lenders face,” said Erin Wester, chief product officer at Optimal Blue. “He sees where a process breaks down or where better information could change a decision, and he knows what technology can do to close those gaps. Under his leadership, our hedging and trading product team isn’t just improving individual tools; they’re changing how lenders manage risk and execute trades.”

“The 2026 Tech Trendsetters are turning today’s most promising technologies into practical solutions for the housing industry,” said Sarah Wheeler, Editor in Chief at HousingWire. “Their leadership is helping organizations work more efficiently, make smarter decisions and deliver better experiences for housing professionals and consumers. We’re proud to recognize the people setting a new standard for technology and innovation across housing.”

Nasir joined Optimal Blue in February 2026 after nearly 20 years at Mortgage Industry Advisory Corporation (MIAC), where he held senior leadership roles focused on hedging and pipeline risk. He now leads Optimal Blue's hedging and trading product team.

HousingWire's Tech Trendsetters program recognizes technology leaders whose innovations are advancing the mortgage and real estate industries. To view the full list of 2026 winners, visit https://www.housingwire.com/techtrendsetters/.

About Optimal Blue
Optimal Blue powers strategic performance across the mortgage capital markets ecosystem. As the industry’s only proven end-to-end capital markets platform, our technology, data and integrations bridge the primary and secondary markets to help lenders of all sizes optimize performance – from pricing accuracy to margin protection and every step in between. Backed by over 20 years of proven expertise, our modern, cloud-native technology delivers the real-time automation, actionable data and seamless connectivity lenders need to navigate market volatility and scale for growth. To learn more about how Optimal Blue helps deliver measurable ROI, visit OptimalBlue.com.

Media Contacts:
Alexandra Kreuter, Optimal Blue
732.861.5012
Alexandra.Kreuter@OptimalBlue.com

Leslie Colley, Depth for Optimal Blue
678.622.6229
leslie@depthpr.com