Leadership Team

George Fussell

President & CEO

Meet George

Starting in 1979, George grew his used car dealership to be the largest independent dealer in the state of Florida. Recognizing the need for ethical and fair financing for his customers, SAFCO was founded in 1990 as his captive lender.

In 2004, after the sale of his dealership to AutoNation, SAFCO began offering indirect financing for dealers throughout Florida, Texas, and Georgia. By 2021, the company was operating in 32 states with 125 employees.

SAFCO is recognized for approaching the subprime auto finance industry with the business philosophy that a finance company exists to help customers “for a better tomorrow.”

Through his guidance and entrepreneurial spirit, George has transitioned SAFCO from a traditional, manual-based finance company into a technological and data-driven organization. By investing in the latest technology, he has enabled SAFCO to provide the same fast service as large competitors. And by hiring a talented and capable staff, George has ensured that SAFCO initiatives are properly executed.

George has established operating standards and work practices that over time have been adopted as standard practice throughout the industry. In addition, he has been asked to share his vast knowledge through mentoring other finance companies’ leadership and through speaking engagements.

Jason Person

Chief Financial Officer

Meet Jason

Jason Person serves as SAFCO’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With a distinguished professional journey, Jason has honed his financial acumen through a series of impactful positions. Prior to joining SAFCO, Mr. Person served as the Vice President and Treasurer at Regional Management Corp. He also served as the Director of Treasury & Capital Markets at Global Lending Services, and as Assistant Vice President, Finance. Mr. Person earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Anderson University, and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M-Commerce.

Andrew Fussell

Executive Vice President

Meet Andrew

Prior to becoming Executive Vice President at SAFCO, Andrew served in a number of capacities throughout the company, including roles in operations, sales, marketing, collections and more. In his current leadership position, Andrew is responsible for overseeing both the Originations Team and Loan Servicing Department. He is focused on driving efficiency and ensuring the highest level of customer service. Andrew earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management from Florida State University.

Joanna Shaffer

Chief Information Officer

Meet Joanna

Joanna is the technology leader at SAFCO as the Chief Information Officer. With over 20 years of experience in software development and project management, she joined SAFCO in 2019.

Prior to SAFCO, Joanna was the Software Development Manager for Security National Automotive Acceptance Company (SNAAC), where she led software development initiatives. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, an MBA in IT Management from WGU and maintains her Project Management Professional certification.

Daniel Baggett

Senior Vice President of Loan Servicing

Meet Daniel

Daniel is responsible for directing various initiatives for SAFCO that are compliance or loan servicing related. This includes developing and executing a compliance program throughout the company. Other tasks include identifying and implementing best practices, maintaining quality standards, and ensuring policies and procedures meet requirements, regulations, and guidelines. Daniel is a certified compliance professional through the National Automotive Finance Association (NAF Association). Daniel currently holds a Board of Directors position with the NAF Association and sits as a committee member on the State Government Affairs Committee (SGA) and Operations and Regulatory Compliance Committee (ORCC) with American Financial Services Association (AFSA). Daniel has attended Metro 2 Fundamentals and Advanced Training Workshops through the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). Previously, he served the company as the Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance. In that role, he was responsible for creating an internal quality assurance and audit program for various departments within SAFCO. Daniel began his career with SAFCO in the buying department as a Credit Analyst and then a Credit Supervisor. Before joining SAFCO, he served as a Personal Banker with Wells Fargo and a Senior Account Representative with HSBC Consumer Lending. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management and International Business from Iowa State University.

Maggie Orozco

Vice President of Insurance

Meet Maggie

Maggie developed both her career and SAFCO’s Loss Mitigation department. She started with the company in 1998 verifying insurance for hundreds of cases a day and built this workflow into a mature set of processes that center the customer’s experience and maintain the bottom line in some of SAFCO’s least routine accounts. Maggie’s department protects SAFCO’s interests in cases where loss has occurred, totaling in millions of dollars annually. These cases include bankruptcy, subrogation and third party liens. Maggie is uniquely familiar both with the network of insurers our customers rely on and with the legal landscapes of the communities they live in. Her ability to gracefully navigate the legal and logistical realities faced by customers gives her the room to prioritize their financial security during these difficult moments.

Andrew Pickens

Vice President of Human Resources

Meet Andrew

Andrew brings more than 20 years of personnel and management experience earned at a number of firms, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, to his role at SAFCO. He started his career in the automotive industry at AutoNation, the country’s largest automotive retailer, before taking on his current role of managing personnel affairs for the company nearly 10 years ago. Andrew is a graduate from the University of Florida.

Nikki Magner

Vice President of Loan Servicing

Meet Nikki

Nikki joined SAFCO in May 2005 at the Anything on Wheels dealership as a Finance Assistant, eventually becoming a Branch Manager at VAFCo. From there, she transferred to SAFCO to become a Credit Buyer. Over her 11-year tenure at the company, she has been promoted to positions of increasing responsibility as she gained expertise with multiple aspects of the sub-prime auto finance business. Nikki has established a reputation for impeccable quality and high performance.

Zachary Sawyer

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Meet Zachary

Zachary started his automotive career at Anything on Wheels, holding various positions until June of 2017 when he joined SAFCO. He is responsible for the company’s marketing efforts; recruiting, developing and training SAFCO’s sales staff, and managing strategic dealer relationships. He graduated from Florida State University in 2011.

Roberto Rodriguez

Vice President of Accounting

Meet Roberto

Roberto Rodriguez joined SAFCO in August 2011 as the Accounting Supervisor. Prior to SAFCO, Roberto worked for 12 years in public accounting, performing audits, financial statements, tax returns, payroll & legal cases. Roberto received his Master Degree in Forensic Accounting from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida. He was instrumental during SAFCO’s transition to our current loan managing system and warehouse financing structure. As Vice President of Accounting he is responsible for running the day to day operations of the accounting department, preparing month ends financial statements and reports, budgets, and external audits.

Marissa Kaliman

Vice President of Compliance and General Counsel

Meet Marissa

Marissa Kaliman serves as the Vice President of Compliance and General Counsel. Prior to SAFCO, Ms. Kaliman served as the Associate General Counsel at Off Lease Only LLC, one of the largest independent car dealers in the country. Ms. Kaliman has also held positions at Givner Law Group, LLP, Akerman LLP, and O’Quinn Stumphauzer, P.L. Her notable achievements include leading in-state and out-of-state expansions, negotiating high-profile leases, and serving as special litigation counsel for a leading mortgage lender.

Ms. Kaliman holds a Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. She is admitted to practice in the State of Florida, Southern and Middle District Courts of Florida, Southern and Middle Bankruptcy Courts of Florida, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hector Matos

Director of Technology Operations

Meet Hector

In 2018 Hector joined SAFCO after more than 20 years in the nonprofit arena, where he managed a globally-dispersed Technology team spanning more than twenty countries across four continents. Hector is responsible for the company’s IT infrastructure and cybersecurity stance, and was instrumental in their design and implementation.

Vanity Mendoza

Director of Loan Servicing

Meet Vanity

Vanity Mendoza serves as SAFCO’s Director of Loan Servicing. Vanity joined SAFCO in August 2007 as a Customer Service Specialist, and over time assumed roles of increasing responsibility within the department. In her current role, she is responsible for the continued development of the Company’s loan servicing team, executing communication strategies to ensure the Company’s compliance with all laws and regulations, and working with loan servicing senior leadership to ensure the department’s objectives are met.

Mark Hardial

Director of Originations

Meet Mark

Mark Hardial serves as SAFCO’s Director of Originations. Mark joined SAFCO in April 2006 as a Corporate Trainer, and has held various positions in the originations and risk departments, as well as leadership positions an affiliated company’s former automotive retail group. In his current role, he oversees the credit, funding, and SAFCO Assist departments, ensuring the high performance of the portfolio. Mark is also tasked with working with the Risk Department to innovate and shape credit policies.