LendAPI Expands Executive Team with Nicole Houston to Drive First-Party BNPL and POS Financing

IRVINE, CA — LendAPI, a leading provider of digital onboarding and credit decisioning infrastructure, today announced the appointment of Nicole Houston as Executive Vice President (EVP) of Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS). Houston joins the executive management team with more than 20 years of deep financial services, lending, and mortgage industry experience.

In her new role, Houston will spearhead LendAPI’s mission to bring retail clients into the first-party Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and Point of Sale (POS) financing arena. She will lead strategic initiatives to help clients seamlessly stand up and scale their own lending portfolios, managing complex components including licensing, loan servicing, and compliance infrastructure.

A Proven Track Record in Financial Services

Houston’s extensive background spans leadership roles at premier lending and mortgage organizations, where she consistently drove operational excellence and portfolio growth. Notably, Houston has collaborated closely with the executive team at LendAPI for more than a decade. Over her distinguished career, she has built tremendous respect across the industry for her meticulous approach to running lending programs, working hand-in-hand with top compliance personnel and legal experts to navigate complex regulatory landscapes.

"We are absolutely thrilled to officially welcome Nicole to our management team," said the executive team at LendAPI. "Having worked alongside Nicole for over ten years, we know firsthand the depth of her expertise and the rigor she brings to compliance and operations. As retailers increasingly look to own their financing ecosystems, Nicole’s leadership will be instrumental in helping our clients launch secure, compliant, and highly profitable first-party BNPL and POS programs."

Empowering Retailers with Lending-as-a-Service

As the demand for flexible consumer credit options rises, LendAPI’s LaaS platform allows merchants and businesses to bypass traditional third-party lenders and issue credit directly to their customers. With Houston at the helm, LendAPI is poised to offer unparalleled support to clients navigating the intricacies of product structuring, regulatory adherence, and end-to-end loan servicing.

"I am incredibly excited to join the LendAPI team at such a pivotal moment for the credit industry," said Nicole Houston, EVP of Lending-as-a-Service. "First-party financing represents a massive opportunity for retailers to boost loyalty and lifetime value. I look forward to leveraging my background in risk, compliance, and lending operations to help our clients deploy robust portfolios that are built to scale safely and successfully."

About LendAPI

LendAPI is a premier digital onboarding and product orchestration platform that enables banks, fintechs, and retailers to build, launch, and manage credit products in minutes. With a focus on flexibility and speed-to-market, LendAPI provides the infrastructure necessary for modern businesses to deliver seamless financial experiences.

Media Contact:

Eric King

Chief of Staff, LendAPI

eric.king@lendapi.com

LendAPI.com