Born on August 11, 1955, in Bhatinda, a small town in Punjab, he was the only boy among five siblings—a brother and the eldest. Though memories of his childhood days are scarce, he remembers having completed his schooling till grade 10 in Patiala and then moving to Chandigarh.
Academic excellence was a part of his upbringing. His father, Mr Purshotham Loomba, was a principal in a high school in a small village, Sanaur, near Patiala, and his mother, Mrs Malti Loomba, was a teacher of mathematics and english. In fact, his paternal grandfather, Mr Durga Dass Loomba, was the Divisional Inspector of Schools in Punjab. The importance of education was, therefore, ingrained in him from the onset.
He has always found his mother inspiring. “My father succumbed to a cardiac arrest rather young, at 44, and my mother was 43 then. I was in grade 10. Though she faced many obstacles, she persevered forward, providing the best for her children. Young, widowed and working as the Principal of Institute of Oriental Languages, she took good care of us, retired as the Director of Schools, Department of Education, Punjab. She had become an unstoppable force.” All the Loomba siblings learnt to prioritize education, which led to their prosperous careers.
For his affinity for mathematics, one of his uncles, Professor Balwant Singh Ahluwalia, Secretary to the Vice Chancellor of Punjab University, suggested he pursue Chartered Accountancy as his profession. He remembers, “My uncle suggested that I study commerce and then pursue CA as it would have a promising future – and I followed suit.”
He studied Commerce at DAV College, Chandigarh, for his graduation and went on to postgraduate in Accounts and Finance in 1977. He took admission in Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Chandigarh Chapter, and received his license in 1980 and immediately found a job as a Senior Financial Officer with the Electronics Corporation in Punjab at a monthly salary of about Rs 1200.
In 1992, Anil went to visit his sister, Amita, in the US. She was settled in Chicago with her husband, Shiv Seth, a computer engineer. On this visit, he chanced to meet some CAs, known as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the US. The progressive state of the country allured him and he decided to pursue the American dream. He enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, for an MBA in Finance. Upon graduation, he received an offer from a company in Deerfield, Illinois, and accepted a position as their Financial Controller. Always seeking new learning opportunities, he became interested in real estate. “A few years later, in 2001, I decided to venture out on my own. The mortgage and real estate industry was booming and I established Home Mortgage Solutions, Inc with a team of four.” His incredible attention to his clients’ needs and thorough knowledge of lenders led the company to becoming one of the premier mortgage companies in Illinois. Well-known and much sought-after by clients, the organization continues to grow its business not just in Illinois but in Texas as well. A recent client called him out for his “constant effort, help, humanity, passion and heart touching attitude” – attributes echoed by nearly all that work with him.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
After 37 years of marriage, Anil is still in awe of his wife, Sukhjeet, whom he affectionately refers to as Sweety, for she has always added the sweetness to his life. “We met in Chandigarh when I had just started working, as many as 45 years back. She has always supported me relentlessly. While I was doing my MBA, she was working three jobs to support the family. I couldn’t have a partner better than her.” They have a daughter, Nikhila, a consultant, who is married to Dr Vivek Cherian, a physician; they have three grandkids, Aman, Ayan and Sahana.
“Another member whose mention is a must is Sheru Loomba – our pet dog. He is a demanding child – he ensures I take him for walks and play with him, Sweety pampers him; he has to have his choice of food and treatment and makes our lives even more robust.”
The couple is family-oriented and health-conscious. “We go for walks every morning and evening and make time to socialize and stay connected on the weekends. We prioritize spending quality time with the whole family. Of course, it is incomplete without Sheru.”
Finding His Own Golden Spoon
“We didn’t come here with a golden spoon – we struggled and worked hard to find the way up. Giving up a promising job to begin afresh, in a whole new country, is not easy. We rebuilt ourselves brick by brick. This is perhaps why I have such an affinity to help a fellow hardworking individual because I recognize that sometimes it takes a small opportunity mixed with grit to succeed. I wanted to provide the next ambitious young people the opportunities to make their dreams come true. It is my way to pay forward to society and the roots that helped cultivate my personality and groom my growth.”
Over the years, he has donated generously to schools and teachers in India. He is a generous donor to the Federation of Indian Association (FIA), Chicago, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Aurora, Gandhi Samaj, Akshay Patra, Urdu Samaj, United Punjabis of America (UPA) amongst other causes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided oxygen cylinders and concentrators to hospitals in India.
His recent project was his commitment to Vidya Jyoti, an organization educating underprivileged children to make them grow up into financially independent citizens.
“My mother has a beautiful concept of help, or what we in Hindi call seva. She believes any which way you sacrifice for someone or something is seva. This truly inculcated in me the importance of not just pursuing philanthropic endeavors, but perhaps even more importantly, humanitarian efforts where I dedicate my personal time to progress a cause.”
His help to society has also earned him many awards. The Oscars Gala hosted by the American Multi Ethnic Coalition has awarded him with the Golden Eagle. The UPA has recognized him with the Distinguished Punjabi Businessman award, FIA awarded him as the Entrepreneur of the Decade, among other distinguished honors.
Despite these accolades and recognitions, he is humble. “I consider my success a blessing from God, and an opportunity to pay forward the good within my means. My father always believed and taught us that success comes with a responsibility to help your fellow human beings.”
Anil emphasized that the driving force of his success was his constant appeal for a balanced, joyous life. “I’ve been in this business now for almost 25 years. Sweety has been in this industry since the beginning of her career. It was tough balancing work and life initially, when she managed family and work and I studied for a better future. But gradually, for the past many years, we have managed to strike the perfect balance and also managed to do a lot more than just work.”
Joy lies in the embodiment of peace and harmony. He has established this by achieving the colloquial American dream but taking it further to achieve the Indian dream. Working hard, succeeding and paying the kindness forward, paying tribute to his roots in his motherland and continuing serving his people – around the world.