TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/895084
8 | TH E M R EP O RT M // As a woman in a typically male dominated field what first attracted you to working in the mortgage industry? HEALY // As someone with a structured finance background, the industry presents an intellectual challenge to develop solutions that are economically sensible, while ensuring that housing finance serves the public policy mission of homeownership. The combination offers a tremendous opportunity to foster innovation to develop new alternatives for underserved borrowers and offer better industry solutions. One way we're doing that is through credit risk transfer, which has fundamentally transformed the way we finance the mortgage market, while expanding low-cost solutions for the nation's borrowers. M // What benefits do you feel diversity in staffing brings to an organization? HEALY // Diversity brings significant benefits to any organization and studies have shown that it is critical to foster innovation in the workplace and helps improve the company's bottom line. Bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences promotes different thoughts and perspectives and generates better outcomes across the organization. M // What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of your role? The most rewarding? HEALY // What I find the most challenging is also the most rewarding—and that's getting a seat at the decision-making table. In male- dominated industries like mortgage finance, it can be a struggle to be included in critical decisions. I have found the most effective way to get a seat at the table is to be proactive, always offering solutions to complex issues. Building and earning trust with various stakeholders is also important. M // What will be the greatest challenges mortgage professionals will face in the coming year? HEALY // Technology and innovation are changing the paradigm in the mortgage industry and adapting to this shift will be one of the greatest near-term challenges for mortgage professionals. Together, we have a significant opportunity to improve automation and efficiency in the mortgage market-improvements that will translate into a better experience and lower costs for borrowers. M // How important is mentoring to women? HEALY // Mentors and especially sponsorship play a critical role for women to advance in the workplace. Advocating on someone's behalf to be considered for opportunities plays a significant role in career progression. I benefited from great mentors throughout my career and seek ways to pay it forward to the emerging group of young professional women such as serving as the co-chair of the WIN,(Women's Interactive Network), one of Freddie Mac's employee-resource groups. Spotlighting the Women of Freddie Mac Gina Healy, VP, Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer I n our annual Women in Housing issue that ran in September, we heard from the female game changers in our industry on everything from what it took for them to succeed in their own careers to what hot button topics will be impacting housing practitioners in the next year. In the next few issues, we will be checking back in with some of these power players from Freddie Mac. This month, we are proud to feature Gina Healy, who is VP of Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer. In her role, Healy is responsible for overseeing all insurance risk transfer functions to transfering portions of single- family credit risk in the residential mortgage market, including reinsurance (ACIS), mortgage insurance portfolio management, and developing innovative risk transfer strategies and product offerings, to attract new sources of private capital. Prior to joining Freddie Mac, Healy was appointed as CFO of NASDAQ Europe (serving as an officer of parent NASDAQ Stock Market) where she was responsible for capital raising, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, expanding the strategic footprint of NASDAQ globally, and managing corporate finance functions across the United Kingdom and countries within the European Union. TAKE 5: WOMEN IN HOUSING EDITION