TheMReport

MReport September 2020

TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.

Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1285919

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 40 of 66

M R EP O RT | 39 Lola Oyewole VP, Human Resources and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Ocwen Financial Corp. Lola Oyewole joined Ocwen Financial Corp. in 2015 when the company launched its diversity and inclusion strategy. The company hoped to bring in a new wave of diversity to both its leadership and workforce ranks while seeking resources within both the vendor and supplier sectors and engaging in community outreach to a wider spectrum of borrowers. Oyewole has also been at the helm of the Ocwen Global Women's Network, an affinity group that launched in 2017 with the goal of encouraging professional development for women within the company. She also currently serves as the Chair of the American Mortgage Diversity Council. In a January 2019 interview with DS News, Oyewole stressed that it was crucial to recognize people could be practicing biases without even realizing what they were doing. "Being aware that unconscious bias affects every area of our lives is key," she said. "Education is a good first step; it is important to train team members on what unconscious bias is so that they are fully aware of how biases show up and how it affects us in our daily interactions with each other. Ocwen provides mandatory unconscious bias training for all employees. Organizations can also develop objective indicators and outcomes for hiring, evaluation, and promotion. They can ensure that there are consistent criteria used to assess performance evaluations." Oyewole added she has been grateful to make a positive impact in the lives of many professionals. "If I can help to unlock someone's potential and bring that out, it is very satisfying," she said. "I also enjoy transforming cultures and improving the overall work environment. It's hard work but when you see positive changes it is well worth it." Jaclyn Stanley AVP Operations Support, Mr. Cooper Colleague Dan Dickey told MReport that "Jaclyn is a member of every one of our diversity and inclusion groups at Mr. Cooper. She is very dedicated to spreading the message of diversity and inclusion in the workplace." Stanley grew up in Wylie, Texas. She graduated from Rice University where she also honed her skills as a team player on the university's basketball team. She has worked at Mr. Cooper since 2012. Prior to Mr. Cooper, she worked at Nationstar Mortgage for over five years. Mr. Cooper has strong history of making diversity and inclusion a priority, and it is paying off with team members like Stanley who have picked up the torch and run with it. Mr. Cooper is Great Place to Work-Certified™, and the company's diversity mission is "cultivate, nurture and maintain a culture of acceptance and inclusion where team members feel empowered to be their authentic selves each and every day." Mr. Cooper's D&I groups include Interfaith Coopers, Cooper Pride, Asians in Motion, Hispanic Organization of Leadership and Achievement, Mr. Cooper Patriots, The Women's Network, Network of African American Coopers, Diversity Champions of Chandler, Diversity Champions of Denver, Diversity Champions of Longview, and Cnotes. Jacqueline M. Welch SVP, Chief Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, Freddie Mac When Jacqueline M. Welch joined Freddie Mac in January 2018, she expressed optimism that the government-sponsored enterprise would be a leader in fostering diversity from without and within. "I firmly believe that a company is only as good as its people, and Freddie Mac is no different," Welch said. "It's vitally important that we enable our diverse perspectives to drive the execution of the company's top goals of building a better company and a better housing finance system. I'm excited by the work that Freddie Mac has already done to foster an organizational culture that competes and wins, and I'm ready to push that strategy forward." Welch, who was previously SVP of International Human Resources for Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta, has focused on Freddie Mac's diversity and inclusion strategy for its workforce and supplier diversity programs, as well as across the full spectrum of its business activities. She stressed that diversity and inclusion cannot exist as standalone concept but must be a full part of an organization's daily operations and corporate culture. As she told the online publication Profiles in Diversity Journal: "There is an African proverb that says, 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.' This proverb speaks to many things, including the importance of relationships and the value of cultivating an inclusive mindset."

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of TheMReport - MReport September 2020