Fannie Mae announces pair of senior promotions

Fannie Mae has announced the promotions of Jeffery Hayward to executive vice-president and chief administrative officer, and Michele Evans to executive vice-president and head of multifamily.

In his new role, Hayward, previously head of Fannie Mae’s multifamily business, will lead the GSE’s affordable housing; environmental, social, and governance (ESG); human resources; diversity and inclusion; and enterprise workplace teams.

“We’re fortunate to have someone of Jeff’s unique experience and talent to help us mobilize our most important asset — our human capital,” said David Benson, president of Fannie Mae. “He understands both the moral urgency and competitive value of diversity and inclusion to our own organization and to the broader housing industry. Jeff has the passion, energy, and commercial mindset needed to forge new, creative partnerships with others who share our willingness to invest intellectual, human, and financial capital in change that is lasting and meaningful.”

“I am thrilled to take the helm of the newly-created chief administrative officer [position],” Hayward said. “We will continue to address the urgent need for affordable housing in our country and our focus on becoming a leading ESG company. We will continue to build a workforce that will take us successfully into the future. And we will double down on our crucial work to foster diversity and ensure inclusion in the workplace.”

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Evans most recently served as Fannie Mae multifamily chief operating officer and has helped guide the multifamily group’s digital transformation, automate its pricing and underwriting, and launch its credit risk transfer business.

“Michele has built strong, trusted relationships with our multifamily customers, driven change and innovation, and managed multifamily’s business operations,” Benson said. “At a time when affordable rental housing is more important than ever to our country, she is the right person to lead our multifamily team.”

“The challenges of financing quality rental housing and the accelerated pace of technological development in the industry are converging,” Evans said. “I look forward to working with the professionals at Fannie Mae and our delegated underwriting and servicing lenders and borrowers to fulfill our critical mission and make affordable, sustainable multifamily housing a reality for families across the country.”