Jay Farner- Founder & CEO
Jay Farner is the founder and CEO of Ronin Capital Partners, an investment and management firm based in Metro Detroit. Ronin Capital Partners focuses on providing capital and strategic support across diverse sectors, including real estate, hospitality, retail, finance and start-ups. The firm's mission is to cultivate meaningful partnerships that drive growth through forward- thinking strategies and a customized approach to each investment. Notable investments include Northern Michigan’s boutique hotel Otis Harbor Springs, Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) in Austin, Texas, downtown Detroit's award-winning restaurant BESA and the highly anticipated Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery in historic Franklin Village.
Previously, Jay served as Vice Chairman and CEO of Rocket Companies, which includes Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest retail mortgage lender. He was also the CEO of Rock Holdings Incorporated. As the Rocket Companies CEO, Jay played an instrumental role in taking the company public in 2020 and helped lead the company to multiple record-setting years of revenue and profitability.
With more than 27 years of experience in sales, marketing, product development, strategic thinking and leadership, Mr. Farner has a unique understanding of tech-driven, direct-to-
consumer businesses, as well as other competitive industries such and housing, finance
and commercial real estate. Mr. Farner’s deep interest in business began in 1996 when he
started his career as a mortgage banker. He advanced to Vice President of Sales, Chief
Marketing Officer and President of Quicken Loans, all while working with others
to identify new business opportunities and build powerful teams.
His passion for creating exceptional client experiences is reflected in the countless J.D. Power Awards that Quicken Loans and Rocket Mortgage earned during his time leading the company. His drive to create unique experiences has proven successful resulting in one-of-a kind client engagement initiatives, such as the QL Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge with Warren Buffett and the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic, which was attended by President Barack Obama on the USS Carl Vinson. He also spearheaded multiple award-winning NFL Super Bowl advertisements. His dedication to these types of experiences not only engages clients and team members, but also helped turn Rocket into the multibillion-dollar brand that it is today.
Mr. Farner is the director of the Jay Farner Family Foundation. He serves on several boards, including Filson, DUPR, Bedrock Manufacturing, the Metropolitan Detroit YMCA and the MSU Broad College of Business. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State University and resides in metro Detroit with his three children.
