Building the Future of
Mortgage Brokering

Teddy Kyres is the Chief Executive Officer of The OIM Group, a multi-brand mortgage platform that sits behind leading brokerages, providing the infrastructure, technology, and scale that help brokers and teams thrive across Canada and the United States.

In addition to leading OIM, Teddy is the President & CEO of Orbis Mortgage Group, which he founded in 2018. Under his leadership, Orbis has grown substantially year over year, supported by an in-house underwriting and operations team, and continues to expand. With the launch of Orbis USA, the organization has extended its footprint beyond Canada, making Orbis one of the only independent mortgage brokerage operating across North America.

As part of the broader OIM ecosystem, Teddy also founded Swyft Mortgage, an alternative lender backed by institutional capital that provides flexible residential and commercial financing solutions. Swyft bridges the gap between traditional bank lending and private capital by delivering structured solutions tailored to today’s borrowers.

Teddy is also the driving force behind Veritas, OIM’s proprietary ERP and CRM platform built specifically for the mortgage industry. Veritas enhances efficiency, compliance, and scalability for brokers by leveraging automation and AI-driven workflows, forming a critical pillar of OIM’s long-term technology strategy.

Prior to founding Orbis, Teddy spent nearly 12 years with BMO working in the retail, commercial, and mortgage specialist divisions, where he was recognized as a national leader in funded volume for multiple consecutive years.

Teddy holds a BA in Economics as well as a Mini-MBA, both from McGill University.

Gord Appel, CEO and President of Indi Mortgage has over 20 years experience in the mortgage industry (and decades of sales experience). He began his mortgage career as a licensed agent with a boutique brokerage in Calgary, AB.

He quickly made a name for himself within the industry and was head-hunted into a Regional Vice-President role with a top national brokerage. Here he provided leadership, mentorship, and guidance to 190+ brokers for the better part of a decade.

Six years ago, Gord and his wife Tanya purchased a 50 per cent stake in Axiom Mortgage Solutions – a then primarily Alberta based brokerage funding nearly three quarters of a billion dollars annually. Through an expansion initiative the brokerage now licenses nearly 500 agents from coast to coast. In April of 2024, the leadership team executed a brand change; rebranding to Indi Mortgage.

He is a long-time supporter of the mortgage industry – promoting education and the benefit of working with a licensed mortgage professional to the public at large and through the development and education of Brokers under his leadership.

He has served on the AMBA (Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association) board as President, sat on the RECA (Real Estate Council of Alberta) Mortgage Brokers Advisory Committee, the 2020 RECA Council, the RECA Mortgage Broker Industry Council, the RECA Rules Review Committee, and most recently as an appointed member of the Hearing Tribunal (roster).

Gord has a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory and advisory side of the industry, and considers it a privilege to bring the voice of the mortgage professional to those that can affect change. Gord leads with authority and a whole lot of heart. He is compassionate, kind and generous.

He is known to throw a mean poker-party, plays guitar, still owns a skateboard, speaks three languages and is a lover of music – get him going by talking “Tool” or “Jimi”. He is a proud dad to Kyla (22), Carsen (19) and fur baby Maisie (9). He loves to spend time with his family (the motivation for all he does) and travel (Europe is a favorite destination).

Gord is a graduate of Arizona State University and holds professional memberships from AMBA, CMBA-BC, and MPC. With over 28 years of active experience in the mortgage industry, he has gained a wealth of knowledge. He considers understanding the intricate workings of provincial and national associations, regulators, insurers, and financial institutions to be paramount to building and strengthening partnerships across the broker channel.

As the Founder and CEO of Indi Mortgage—one of Canada’s largest independent mortgage brokerages—Gord recognizes the critical need—and the opportunity—for mortgage professionals to provide value-added, expertise-based advice to make the dream of homeownership a reality for Canadian consumers.

He is passionate about the growth of the mortgage industry and a staunch believer in giving back. He’s volunteered for various Association committees and co-founded “Indi Cares,” a charitable initiative that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for more than 50 grassroots charities across Canada.

Above all, Gord is a fervent family man, serial entrepreneur, real estate investor, and dog’s best friend. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, coaching minor hockey, and occasionally writing about himself in the third person using dramatic words like “fervent.”

Christopher Churchill-Smith is an experienced investor and operator with a strong track record of leading and advising on complex, technology-enabled transactions across highly regulated industries. He brings deep expertise in both public and private capital markets, including senior executive experience within a publicly listed company.

Christopher has executed a wide range of transactions including equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructurings; working with institutional investors, strategic partners, and cross-border stakeholders. Over the past five years, he has participated as an investor and/or advisor in transactions exceeding $2 billion in aggregate enterprise value, spanning three continents and operating within complex regulatory environments.

His approach integrates capital strategy, governance, and operational execution, with a strong emphasis on platform scalability and long-term value creation.