The financial crisis that hit in August 2007 changed the lives of millions of Americans. For Anthony Davenport, the stress and shock of the changes in the financial world were the forces that transformed his career—from being on the other side of the desk as a loan origination executive for a bank to becoming a financial literacy and consumer credit expert who has dedicated his life to helping clients solve some of their most difficult challenges.

After graduating from Washington State University, Davenport started his professional career as a loan officer for Bank of America in its Seattle office. His skill as a relationship builder helped him quickly move to become one of the top originators in the region. Davenport moved on to Wells Fargo—where he started his advanced training in the intricacies of the home mortgage business.

Ironically, it was as Davenport ascended to the highest levels of Wells Fargo’s sales structure that he noticed the mistakes, misinformation and pure arbitrariness in credit reports that were costing uninformed consumers tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest on their loans. “The system is flawed,” says Davenport. “Creditors foot the bill for credit information – not individuals- so the bureaus have no incentive to fix your records.”

As the home mortgage market was being fundamentally altered in the financial crisis, Davenport resolved to go out on his own and build a company that would help people avoid the old pitfalls that caught so many of the clients he had seen at Bank of America and Wells Fargo—and the new ones coming. In 2010, Davenport founded Regal Credit Management in New York City. “As a former mortgage originator, I understand how unfavorable credit—or no credit at all—can impact your livelihood,” says Davenport. “Whether caused by error, theft, or rookie mistakes, bad credit affects your ability to live life on your terms.”

Davenport’s early success brought him clients from the top levels of professional sports, music, real estate and finance. He holds nearly a dozen advanced certifications, and conducts continuing education training in and around New York for the New York County Lawyers Association, New York Society of CPAs and the New York Real Estate Institute. Since 2014, Davenport has worked with the NFL in its executive education program to train athletes on credit management and protection, and he’s been the subject of numerous print and television features in outlets like Forbes, the New York Times and Current TV. His first book, The Score—a real-world guide to navigating the world of consumer credit—will be published in 2017 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Having been appointed by no less than two U.S. Presidents, Dr. Lawrence F. Davenport has held dozens of private sector, non-profit, governmental, and academic C-level and other leadership posts. These include Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. House of Representatives, Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of Education, CFO for the Milton Hershey School, CFO for the Seattle Public School, and Assistant Dean of the University of Michigan/Flint.

Helping people achieve goals that benefit the greater good has been the theme throughout Dr. Davenport’s impressive career. In the late 1990s, he owned and ran Davenport Group, a mortgage company in Pennsylvania. The experience has given him a foundation with which to leverage his clear leadership and operational skills. When the global sub-prime crisis descended, Dr. Davenport sprang to help out.

“To me, this work is as worthy as social work. Regal Credit Management is helping people correct mistakes—their own, and those of others. We are helping them to fulfill the American Dream—to own a home, start a business, or accomplish any other goal they want,” he says. In addition to his role at Regal, he is also Executive VP of a high-level executive search firm.

In addition to his role at Regal, he is also Executive VP of a high-level executive search firm. Dr. Davenport received his B.A. and first M.A. at Michigan State University. He earned an additional M.A. from Leicester University, England (performance management), and a Ph.D. in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University (N.J.).  He has taught graduate courses at the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and other prestigious universities. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Financial Executive International (FEI) magazine.