TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1478106
M R EP O RT | 33 What Others Are Saying "Sherri Higuera exhibits a rare combination of abilities as both a visionary leader with a plan for the future and a practical pragmatist that remains rooted in the real world. As a woman in a male-dominated field and industry, Sherri excels, as evidenced by her mastery of information technology and superb leadership skills, leading and developing a diverse and talented international team. Along with consistently delivering quality products and initiatives that work as designed and delivered promptly, Sherri is the driving force that keeps TMS functioning in the present, yet always ready for tomorrow, ensuring TMS stays ahead of the competition." What This Nomination Means to Her "Striving for excellence and efficiency through technology has been my passion since I entered the industry over 20 years ago. However, as a female in the male- dominated technology space, I learned early on that I had to approach things with a different perspective to have an impact. For most of my career, it has been challenging to convince leaders that there is a more cost-efficient and effective way to do things by using technology. However, at The Money Source, I work with a senior leadership team that understands the importance that innovation can bring to an organization and together with the exceptional teams I manage, we are able to build the unthinkable. I love what I do, and I am humbled by this nomination." What Others Are Saying "Kelly MacDonald has created an exceptional career for herself by successfully traversing extremely complex and often contradictory regulations and guidelines while working in both mortgage originations and servicing over the past 30 years. A key to her success has been the constant of keeping the customers' interest at the forefront of her decision-making. She sees beyond the language of a 'rule' to truly understand the intent and takes whatever steps are necessary to do the right thing. Kelly actively shares her experience with others and is vocal in raising both concerns and questions to highlight areas of risk for both our organization and the industry. She leads with a strong moral compass that allows others to easily follow." What This Nomination Means to Her "It is an honor to be a finalist for the 2022 Women in Housing Trailblazer Award, particularly in an industry in which there are so many remarkable and successful women in leadership. During my 30-year career in mortgage, I've been fortunate to be a part of M&T, where the substance of one's contribution is truly valued, and I am always encouraged to do the right thing for our customers as well as our employees. Nothing is more satisfying to me than being able to make a difference, whether it be protecting our communities from blighted properties, helping customers stay in their homes, or mentoring young women to help them reach their potential. It is this desire to help others grow that inspired me to create an internal program for our young leaders that fosters their professional development and helps them reach their goals. It has been a truly inspiring experience leading this program because I found that I have learned as much from them as they learned from me." What Others Are Saying "Cecelia Raine has been a leader in the mortgage industry for 35 years, and in her four years at Freddie Mac, she has been integral in some of the most transformative servicing technology initiatives for the company. Raine influenced the creation of Reimagine Servicing®, one of Freddie Mac's biggest, most effective, and successful recent initiatives and one of the largest investments in servicing in 10 years. Through new technology solutions, process changes, and data integration, she's leading the way to minimize credit losses, reduce costs, and support sustainable homeownership and stability in the housing market. Raine also helped launch Resolve®, the integrated default management platform. Resolve, launched in late 2020, is groundbreaking in servicing because it delivers real-time eligibility decisioning on workout options through APIs." What This Nomination Means to Her "This nomination is an honor that represents the culmination and success of hundreds of team members across Freddie Mac working toward a common vision. Several years ago, our leaders recognized the need to transform the way we worked as a team and how we work together with the industry in servicing. This effort resulted in Freddie Mac's commitment and investment in tools that brought innovation into the servicing ecosystem. We are honored to be recognized by the Five Star Conference and thank the many partners who joined Freddie Mac's change journey to transform our client's experience, elevate our mission and be ready for whatever the future holds." Sherri Higuera SVP, Servicing Technology The Money Source Kelly MacDonald SVP, Director of Late-Stage Default M&T Bank Cecelia Raine VP, Servicing Strategy & Integration Freddie Mac