Old Republic Title CEO to Retire
January 19, 2023
Old Republic National Title Insurance Co. announced that Chief Executive Officer Mark Bilbrey will retire at the end of January.
Bilbrey started working part-time in the title industry 52 years ago. The profession, he said, “became my life, my family, my passion and my purpose. It has introduced me to the best people in the world, most of whom have become lifelong friends.”
“I will obviously miss the people the most: my coworkers; customers and competitors. I will also miss the satisfaction of getting the deals done, problems solved and helping people get into their property,” Bilbrey continued.
After earning his accounting degree from Oklahoma University in 1980, Bilbrey took a job with Warranty Title & Abstract in El Reno, Okla. He was named company president in 1990. In 1997, Bilbrey and other investors purchased the company. They sold the agency in 2003 to First American, where Bilbrey became its national agency sales manager for several years.
Bilbrey joined Old Republic Title in 2007. He was appointed executive vice president in 2008 and became president of Old Republic National Title Holding Co. in 2010. He served as CEO since 2019.
“Mark has been a tremendous leader and has had a great impact on our organization, helping guide us through some of the most challenging markets and positioning us for the future,” the company said. “We are very grateful for his long and distinguished service and wish him well on this next adventure with his family.”
Bilbrey was ALTA’s 2005 president. Over the years, he served as chair of the Finance Committee, Abstracter/Agent Research Committee, co-chair of Title Insurance Political Action Committee (TIPAC) and as a member of the Government Affairs Committee and Nominating Committee for Abstracters and Title Insurance Agents Section, Title Insurance Assurance Corporation (TIAC) and Title Reinsurance Corporation (TRC).
In 2009, Bilbrey received an Honorary Membership from ALTA. He also is a past president of the Oklahoma Land Title Association.
“My participation in the Oklahoma Land Title Association led me to the American Land Title Association, which without question changed the course of my career,” Bilbrey said. “I truly have been blessed and I can trace most of those blessings in my life to this industry.”
Always remaining humble, Bilbrey said he never really thought about his industry accomplishments.
“I might call them blessings,” he said. “I have had so many people help, mentor and coach me along the way that I always felt success/accomplishments happen as a group effort. I have done my best to return that same gift to others.”
ALTA Past President Anne Anastasi, CLTP, NTP, first vice president for Old Republic Title, shared similar sentiment to Bilbrey.
“When Mark called you a friend, he truly meant it,” Anastasi said. “The amazing thing is, he has more friends than anyone I have ever met. He is kind, sincere, honest, and a shining example of the word integrity. The industry will miss him, but the universe in which Mark continues to walk will benefit from the warm embraces he freely gives.”
ALTA Past President Cara Detring NTP, president of Preferred Land Title in Missouri, said Bilbrey is one of the few professionals she knows that understands the big picture of the title industry. Bilbrey was a natural to rise to leadership in ALTA and OLTA due to his experience as a title agent and an underwriter.
“The industry is better for his leadership based upon the experience of being ‘in the trenches’ as a title agent, and he then applied that understanding to the insurance side of the industry,” Detring said. “He has a great sense of humor and more one-liner’s than anyone I know. Mark is one of those guys who never meets a stranger and the first thing he says to anyone is ‘What can I do for you?’ or ‘How can I make your day better?’”
Detring said she and her husband, Terry, are looking forward to spending more time with their with Bilbrey and his wife, Cathy.
“Selfishly, Terry and I are looking forward to his retirement and the ability to spend time with Mark and Cathy without having to sit down with a calendar!” Detring said. “I am sure his retirement will be an adjustment because change takes adjustment. He is not riding off into the sunset. Mark and Cathy will be moving into a new chapter of their life together. One thing you can count on, he will continue to give his best effort and will always say ‘Hello friend, what can I do for you?’”
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or [email protected].