Charles Fields-Martinez

About Charles Fields-Martinez

Transforming Consumer Lending. Elevating Teams. Redefining What’s Possible. I build clarity out of chaos, engineer scalable systems, and empower teams to operate with confidence, speed, and purpose. My career is defined by transformative growth, operational reinvention, and leadership standards that raise the bar everywhere I go. Leadership Is My Craft. Operational Excellence Is My Signature.I was raised by leaders who taught me that leadership is earned daily. Great leaders don’t command—they inspire. They don’t demand excellence—they model it. I lead with conviction, humility, and an unapologetic commitment to elevating people. When teams understand the why, they unlock a level of performance most leaders never reach. Wheelhouse Credit Union: High-Velocity TransformationAt Wheelhouse CU, I rebuilt lending operations into a high-performance engine. Key outcomes: Doubled annual originations:$35M → $70M Delivered 197% YoY growth in Solar & EE lending Improved pull-through: 25% → 40%+ Reduced time-to-fund: 10 days → under 1 day🧩 Achieved all results with 50% of historical resources Built top-tier teams, hiring and developing exceptional FTE Implemented KPI dashboards, automation, and pipeline intelligence Maintained <2% audit findings across all auditsThis wasn’t incremental improvement—it was an operational renaissance fueled by discipline, innovation, and a team that believed in the mission. A Career Defined by Bold Decisions & Outsized ImpactI’ve scaled originations 0 → $300M, exceeded portfolio targets by 15%, and built product strategies that disrupt the status quo. My strengths include: Relentless problem-solving Deep lending expertise (consumer, mortgage, auto, solar/EE) Precision in risk and credit policy High-performance people leadership Product innovation rooted in operational insightI bridge the gap between vision and execution—turning ambitious goals into repeatable success. The Future: Reinventing Consumer LendingFinancial services should work better—for everyone. I’m committed to building products that deliver real value, teams that outperform, and systems that scale effortlessly.Together, we can build what others haven’t imagined yet.

Experience

1. Lending Management

   Wheelhouse Credit Union

   Oct 2024 — Present · San Diego, US

   Manage full lending operations across underwriting, loan processing, funding, servicing, sales support, and portfolio management for a diverse suite of lending products, including Solar & Energy-Efficient loans, auto loans, mortgage loans, personal loans, and credit cards. Doubled annual originations from $35M to $70M and achieved 197% YoY growth in Solar & Energy-Efficient lending—accomplished with only half the operational resources historically required. Improved pull-through rate from 25% to 40%+ by optimizing workflows, enhancing communication standards, and removing process bottlenecks. Reduced average time-to-fund from 10 days to less than 1 day by redesigning processes, eliminating bottlenecks, and improving communication standards with members and contractors. Developed and implemented key performance indicators (KPIs), real-time dashboards, and automated reporting to monitor pipeline health, SLA compliance, funding cycle times, and portfolio performance across all lending products. Enhanced member and contractor experience by establishing standardized communication protocols, improving response times, and ensuring transparent status updates throughout the loan lifecycle. Maintained strict adherence to NCUA regulations, state lending requirements, credit union policies, UDAAP standards, and internal audit procedures, achieving less than 2% findings across 100% of portfolio audits. Partner with Compliance, Risk, IT, Sales, Membership, and third-party contractors to resolve issues, strengthen controls, support new-product initiatives, and maintain high service standards.

Education

• Universidad Tecnologica de Guaymas

  Bachelor's degree