Executive Team Bio – Granite Escrow & Settlement Services

Granite Escrow & Settlement Services has one of the most extensive corporate teams, designed to aid and assist our branches and escrow officers at the local level. With over 200 years of combined management experience, our corporate team allows our escrow officers to focus solely on their escrow transactions and their clients. Below is a list of our corporate team:

Kris Kartozian President Janet Moore Senior Trust Accounting Manager Julie McMillan Vice President of Escrow Operations Sheila Bracha Manager of Escrow Operations

Kris Kartozian President

A graduate of Stanford University, Kris Kartozian joined First American Financial Corporation as an Associate Financial Analyst in 2011 after early graduation.

With a commitment to excellence and hard work, his diligence paid off and, over the course of 8 years, he advanced within the organization, receiving numerous promotions until he was appointed Vice President of Operations in 2016. Three years later, Kris was named President of The Heritage Escrow Company, where he skillfully led the premier independent escrow company and its talented team.

First American Financial acquired Granite Escrow & Settlement Services at the end of 2021 and – due to his outstanding track record – appointed Kris as its President in 2022.

When Kris isn’t at the helm guiding Granite’s world-class escrow operations, you can find him either on the golf course with friends or spending quality time with his wife Chloe and their two adopted golden retrievers – Charley & Baxter.

Janet Moore Senior Trust Accounting Manager

Janet Moore is Granite Escrow & Settlement Services’ expert Senior Trust Accounting Manager.

Ms. Moore has over 25 years of experience in both trust accounting and escrow and runs Granite Escrow’s trust accounting operations. Janet originally started her career with Spring Mountain Escrow in 1991. Janet has since been working with Brad Cohen for many years, initially at Heritage Escrow before transitioning to Granite Escrow in 2010.

Janet is very detailed-oriented, skilled and knowledgeable and is exceptional at what she does. She is passionate about the people that make up Granite Escrow and is extremely friendly and caring, lending a hand whenever it is needed.

Janet believes strongly in Granite Escrow’s tagline and core values; ‘our strength is in our people’ and ‘we strive to deliver excellence in all that we do’. She works diligently to provide the best possible service to Granite Escrow’s clients.

Janet was born and raised in Southern California and while she is an avid traveler, she always loves coming home to her three grown boys and the beautiful weather.

Julie McMillan Vice President of Escrow Operations

Local escrow industry veteran Julie McMillan joined the Granite Escrow corporate team as Vice President of Escrow Operations in June 2021, after serving for five years as the manager of the Newport Beach branch.

Prior to joining Granite, Julie spent 35 years as an escrow officer in the Newport Beach coastal area. She built and maintained respected Broker/Agent relationships over the course of her tenure and successfully closed escrow for many of the area’s homeowners and families. Her career was built on a foundation of solid communication, investment in and attention to the nuances of every transaction, as well as discreet and respectful client care.

Since escrow is an ever-evolving business of hands-on experience, Julie – now a part of the Granite Corporate team – thrives on the opportunity to act as a trusted resource and to support her colleagues by sharing her expertise, technical knowledge, and the lessons learnt through years of day-to-day escrow practice.

Julie graduated from University of California, Irvine, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and has lived in Newport Beach ever since. Her family is close by and, when not working, she is happiest outside either in or on the water.

Sheila Bracha Manager of Escrow Operations

Sheila Bracha is Granite Escrow & Settlement Services’ Manager of Escrow Operations. Mrs. Bracha is no stranger to the escrow industry, with over 25 years of experience working in the settlement industry and hailing from a family of escrow officers.

Sheila started her career in 1992 working for her family owned independent escrow company as a receptionist and messenger. Mrs. Bracha progressed quickly to assume the role of escrow assistant, while simultaneously undertaking a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of California, Irvine. On the completion of her studies, Sheila started her full time career as an Escrow Officer.

Sheila has since had the opportunity to work in positions of leadership for one of the leading escrow software providers in the country. Here she was able to acquire extensive knowledge in settlement software design and document management, while developing her training and support skills.

Sheila brings knowledge and expertise to the Granite Escrow corporate team and has taken great strides in improving and streamlining our systems. Sheila works diligently to ensure that all Granite Escrow employees are kept abreast of company policy and industry updates through her cutting-edge employee training program.