First American’s Kate Pisano Named a HousingWire 2026 Rising Stars Award Winner

—Recognized for leading the responsible enterprise adoption of AI tools across the company—

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a premier provider of title, settlement, and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry, today announced that Kate Pisano, lead strategic operations manager, has been named one of HousingWire’s 2026 Rising Stars for helping lead the responsible rollout of AI adoption across the company, including enterprise training, employee enablement and cross-functional collaboration to support adoption at scale. Honoring emerging leaders under the age of 40 for their innovative and valuable contributions, HousingWire’s Rising Stars represent the next generation shaping the housing industry. Winners are chosen based on their professional achievements, industry contributions and demonstrated leadership.

​​“Kate has played a pivotal role in helping First American adopt artificial intelligence thoughtfully and at enterprise scale,” said Jody Mulkey, chief technology officer at First American. “She has helped turn a technology rollout into a people-centered transformation by pairing AI tools with training, governance and hands-on support, accelerating adoption while reinforcing our commitment to using AI responsibly.”

Pisano was recognized for her contributions to the enterprise rollout of AI tools to more than 19,000 First American employees in the span of a month. In addition to supporting deployment, she has led training and upskilling initiatives designed to help employees build confidence and practical fluency with AI in their day-to-day work. She helped introduce an AI champions program to provide hands-on support across business units and helped establish First American’s AI liaison network, a cross-functional forum connecting teams across the company’s business units and international regions to share insights, use cases and best practices. Together, these efforts have helped foster strong adoption, knowledge-sharing and a responsible approach to enterprise AI enablement across the organization.

“A strong housing economy requires leaders with vision, adaptability and a bias for execution,” said Clayton Collins, chief executive officer of HousingWire. “This year’s Rising Stars represent a new generation of leaders strengthening their businesses, guiding teams and delivering impact. They are helping shape where the industry goes next.”

About First American

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a premier provider of title, settlement, and risk solutions for real estate transactions. With its combination of financial strength and stability built over more than 135 years, innovative proprietary technologies, and unmatched data assets, the company is leading the digital transformation of its industry. First American also provides data products to the title industry and other third parties; valuation products and services; mortgage subservicing; home warranty products; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $7.5 billion in 2025, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2026, First American was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Great Place to Work^® and Fortune Magazine for the eleventh consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.