EY Announces Reza Jahangiri of AAG Named Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award Winner in Orange County

ORANGE, Calif., July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EY today announced that Reza Jahangiri, Chief Executive Officer of American Advisors Group (AAG), received the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award in the financial services category in Orange County. The award recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Jahangiri was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event at the Monarch Beach Resort on June 22.

"I'm incredibly honored to be recognized as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year," said AAG Chief Executive Officer Reza Jahangiri. "This shows that surrounding yourself with extremely talented people and building a business around a higher purpose – solving the retirement crisis – really does create a mission-driven culture that drives results."

Early on, Jahangiri saw the potential of the reverse mortgage as a retirement planning tool for older Americans. In 2004, he launched and quickly grew AAG into the largest reverse mortgage lender in the nation. Today, AAG has more than 1,200 employees and greater than $280 million in annual revenue. Jahangiri is now leading the company's transformation from the leading reverse mortgage platform into a home equity solutions company focused solely on seniors. The transition involves moving from a monoline business into one that is product-agnostic and solutions focused, and puts AAG into a new market category on its own.  

AAG recognizes that seniors in America are facing a retirement crisis, with half experiencing a decrease in their standard of living at retirement, according to the National Retirement Risk Index. AAG's transformation furthers its commitment to helping retirees bridge the gap between their income and expenses. By offering a full suite of home equity solutions, from its core reverse mortgage products to home equity lines of credit, cash-out refinance, and real estate services for buying and selling homes, AAG will be able to help more seniors achieve better financial outcomes in retirement.

Another important part of AAG's purpose-driven culture is corporate citizenship. Jahangiri created the AAG Foundation in 2015 to help those in need and encourage the company's workforce to make a difference. For example, AAG employees use their Volunteer Time Off to make Meals on Wheels deliveries and help with Emergency Food Assistance Programs for seniors. The company also sponsors the local Better Business Bureau (BBB)'s Savvy Seniors program aimed at protecting seniors from marketplace scams. The AAG Foundation also supports Willow International, a nonprofit organization focused on preventing, rescuing and providing restorative aftercare to victims of human trafficking in Uganda. Jahangiri serves as the chair of the Willow board.   

Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and discipline have driven their companies' success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. Now in its 32nd year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, and many more.

As an Orange County award winner, Jahangiri is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 10, 2018. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Media Links
Photo gallery of the EY Orange County gala
Video of Reza Jahangiri
Complete list of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Orange County award recipients

Sponsors
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the U.S. by SAP America, the Kauffman Foundation and Merrill Corporation.

In the Orange County region, sponsors also include Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Hollencrest Capital Management, Lockton Companies,Tangram Company and Woodruff‑Sawyer & Company.

About AAG
AAG is dedicated to helping older Americans find new ways to fund a better retirement through the responsible use of home equity. As the nation's leader in reverse mortgage lending, AAG offers a suite of home equity solutions – including federally-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, traditional and proprietary mortgages, and real estate services – that are designed to give seniors a better financial outcome in retirement. AAG is a proud member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). To learn more about AAG and reverse mortgage loans, please visit the company's website at www.aag.com. 

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year®, founded by EY, is the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs, chosen from an independent panel of judges including entrepreneurs and prominent leaders from business, finance, and the local community. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. ey.com/eoy

About EY's Growth Markets Network
EY's worldwide Growth Markets Network is dedicated to serving the changing needs of high-growth companies. For more than 30 years, we've helped many of the world's most dynamic and ambitious companies grow into market leaders. Whether working with international mid-cap companies or early stage, venture-backed businesses, our professionals draw upon their extensive experience, insight and global resources to help your business succeed. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/sgm or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

For AAG media inquiries, please contact: [email protected].

American Advisors Group, NMLS #9392, 3800 W. Chapman Avenue, Orange CA 92868

SOURCE American Advisors Group

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