Scott McAfee, Security Pacific

SCOTT McAFEE Executive vice president Security Pacific, Los Angeles

As commercial banks began storming into the home mortgage business a few years ago, Scott McAfee of Security Pacific National Bank helped lead the charge.

Mr. McAfee, 36, took control of the company's mortgage department in 1987 and, within two years, boosted annual originations 400%, to more than $4 billion.

What's more, he made sure the Los Angeles-based bank cross-sold checking accounts and other products to mortgage customers - a goal that has eluded many a bank. Today, Security Pacific says that 91% of its mortgage customers also take deposit products.

"Our focus has not been to generate a ton of mortgages," Mr. McAfee says. "Our focus has been to produce outstanding banking relationships."

As a reward for his effort, Mr. McAfee was promoted to executive vice president in 1990, with his responsibilities expanded to include all consumer lending.

This year, Mr. McAfee, will againf ocus his attention on mortgages, this time as the top residential lending executive at BankAmerica Corp. after it completes its merger with Security Pacific. That will likely be a high-profile position as the new BankAmerica battles Norwest Corp. for the title of largest mortgage lender in the country.

That rivalry is sure to prove spirited because Mr. McAfee happens to be good friends with Norwest's mortgage chief, Mark Oman - another "40 under 40" member. Earlier this month, the two executives and their wives went on a ski vacation in Colorado.

In 1991, BankAmerica and Security Pacific are believed to have originated more than $11 billion of mortgages between them, versus Norwest's industry-leading $13.2 billion.

For years, such numbers were unheard of at commercial banks. Thrifts dominated the field and banks were distant also-rans. But all that changed in the past three years, with major banks stepping in to fill the shoes of the hundreds of failed thrifts.

Mr. McAfee brought some hard, financial analysis to bear on Security Pacific's foray into the market. A graduate of New York University, he had previously served as chief financial officer of Security Pacific's mortgage securities unit in New York. Before that, he held a similar post at Paine Webber Inc. He began his career at Prudential-Bache Securities, managing its back-office operations in Latin America.

While his new duties will narrow at BankAmerica from overall consumer loans to mortgages, the division he will be heading has been a proven career path at the San Francisco giant. After the merger, Frank Schultz, 53, BankAmerica's mortgage chief since 1987, was named to head all consumer lending at the merged institution.

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