TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1294972
TH E M R EP O RT | 11 THE CULTURAL LEADER AWARD Tracy Stephan VP Innovation, Fannie Mae Our 2020 Cultural Leader Award winner told MReport, "Building a culture that prioritizes forward thinking and continual learning is incredibly important to me, my team, and the work I lead." Tracy Stephan added that she was "honored to be recognized as a woman in the housing industry that's fostering innovative teams and outcomes." Stephan first joined Fannie Mae as a junior software developer when she graduated college. Since then, she has taken on increasing responsibility and now serves as VP of Innovation. She first gained national attention in 2015 for leading the data effort in Fannie Mae's FUSE program, which implemented a modern enterprise data infrastructure to handle trading, operations, and accounting activities. The program earned Fannie Mae recognition within Information Week's Elite 100 for Innovation. One of the top lessons Stephan said she learned during her career was, "There is no task that is too big or too small." In the face of challenges, Stephan said, "You have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do whatever needs to be done to keep moving forward." She also added, however: "On the flip side, don't limit yourself to what others think possible." Stephan named her grandmother as a key mentor and role model for both her life and her career. "I've learned a lot from strong women in my life," Stephan recalled. "My grandmother was a truly independent woman who never shied away from hard work or taking on new challenges. She taught me a lot about work ethic and not waiting for anyone else to do what needed to be done." She also noted the influence of her first boss, who Stephan said "showed me if I wanted something bad enough to just 'pick up the phone' and make it happen. Both of these women were kind, caring, and driven." THE DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD Jacqueline M. Welch Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Diversity Officer, Freddie Mac When asked what this award meant to her, Jacqueline Welch told MReport, "While an acknowledgement like this one is certainly lovely to receive, the story behind the story is an organization that values the work and colleagues who help and support making it happen. At Freddie Mac, we drive accountability for inclusion and diversity up, down, and across the organization." Welch added that she was accepting the award "on behalf of all of my colleagues." While working to further diversity and inclusion, and throughout her career more generally, Welch said that she follows "a personal philosophy inspired by many lessons learned" throughout her career: "leave people and things in better condition than when you first encountered them." On the topic of mentorship, Welch pointed out that "there are three critical relationships you need to grow and advance your career: coach, mentor, and sponsor." She added that she has been lucky enough to have been on both sides of each of those relationships. "In fact, my most recent for-profit board appointment was, in part, due to a coaching turned mentoring turned sponsorship relationship that began almost 20 years ago." Welch added that it's important to understand the distinction and nuance between these relationships. "The coach helps you up-skill and take your performance to new levels," Welch explained. "Coaches talk to you. Mentors take their comprehensive view of who you are on and off the job to help you think through career choices. Mentors talk with you. A sponsor is most typically a senior person willing to use her or his positional and reputational capital and influence on your behalf. Sponsors talk about you. Once you understand those differences, develop and leverage each of these relationships throughout your career journey to reach your goals." THE LAURIE A. MAGGIANO LEGACY AWARD Dana Dillard EVP Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr. Cooper Group Dana Dillard told MReport that this award carries great personal significance, as she was close friends with the woman who gave it her name. With a career that spanned over several decades, Laurie A. Maggiano was a well-respected industry leader who served as Servicing and Secondary Markets Program Manager at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She passed away in January 2018. "We shared meals, panel presentations, and many conferences together, and while we sometimes disagreed on the method, we never disagreed on the objective of doing right by our customers," Dillard recalled. "She was fun to be around, always authentic to herself, and she was tough. I can think of no greater champion for the consumer than Laurie." Dillard told MReport that one of the most critical lessons she has learned from her career in mortgage is that "you can be yourself and be successful. You don't have to act one way at the office and another way with your friends." Dillard continued, adding, "I appreciate authenticity and feeling like people are shooting straight with who they are, day in and day out." Dillard also shared one important corollary to this truth: "You don't have to be difficult to get along with to be effective." Dillard said that she encourages people to become familiar with their strengths and to seek out environments where those strengths are celebrated. "You want a company that builds you up and doesn't bring you down— and co-workers who do the same." When it comes to important mentors in her life, Dillard names Ralene Ruyle, President of EMC Mortgage when Dillard was with that company, as "the first woman leader that had an impact on me." Dillard described Ruyle as someone who had "mastered the art of leading and dealing with our New York leaders with grace and kindness, and yet, she ran a tight ship and an efficient and profitable business." Dillard said that it was apparent that Ruyle truly cared about building Yelationships with her employees. "That was the first time I had seen a leader at that level have such personal connections at work," Dillard continued. "She taught me to be prepared, be creative, push back when you need to, and to ask people about their families. Looking back, I can really appreciate her position and all the stress she must have dealt with that she never shared with us." KEYSTONE AWARD RECIPIENTS "You can be yourself and be successful. You don't have to act one way at the office and another way with your friends." —Dana Dillard, EVP Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr. Cooper Group