What Fairway is like
Who is Steve Jacobson?
Holly Mattson President of Recruiting, Fairway
Steve Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. He opened Fairway in Madison, Wisconsin in April 1996, led it to $1 billion in annual fundings within five years, took it employee-owned in 2016, and in 2026 received the Top Workplaces #1 Leadership Award for CEOs of companies with 2,500+ employees.
The founder. Steve opened Fairway’s doors in Madison, Wisconsin in April 1996. The name came from his childhood best friend, Randy Cross — forever a member of the Fairway family.
The builder. Fairway hit $1 billion in annual fundings within five years. It is now the #2 retail mortgage lender in America, licensed in all 50 states, with headquarters still in Madison.
The owner who shared it. In 2016 Fairway launched its ESOP, and today the company is being sold back to the Fairway team.
The leader. In 2026, Steve received the USA TODAY Top Workplaces #1 Leadership Award for CEOs of companies with 2,500 or more employees — an award based on what employees say about their CEO, not what the CEO says about himself.
The person. In November 2025, Fairway’s funding enabled a Madison facility to reopen a medically monitored detox program, named Jake’s Place in honor of Steve’s father, Darryll Jacobson. The $1 million disaster-relief commitments in Texas and Florida came from the same place.
If you want to hear the story from him, The Story of Fairway is the video to watch.
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