Dive Brief:

• Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac has appointed James Whitlinger to its CFO seat, a move which comes about six months after he took the post on an interim basis, according to a company press release Tuesday and a securities filing. He succeeds Christian Lown — Freddie’s finance chief for four years through June of 2024 — who left to become CFO at CoStar Group, a real estate marketplace and information and analytics provider, beginning July 1.  
• Whitlinger, 56, has worked at Freddie Mac for 10 years, most recently holding the post of senior vice-president, single family CFO beginning in 2014. A veteran of the real estate finance industry, Whitlinger also worked for 21 years at GMAC ResCap, including a roughly two-year stint as executive vice president and CFO, according to his LinkedIn profile.   
• “Jim is a proven leader with more than 30 years of financial management and accounting experience. As a 10-year veteran of Freddie Mac, he is well positioned to assume the CFO role and maintain the strength and continuity of our finance functions,”  Freddie Mac CEO Diana Reid said in a statement in the release. 

Dive Insight:

Whitlinger is taking the CFO seat permanently as Freddie Mac faces the possibility of significant change: The U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced an agreement Jan. 2 aimed in part at ensuring Freddie Mae and Fannie Mae exit from conservatorships that the federal government instituted in 2008 to stem losses from the mortgage finance crisis.

Investors are also betting Donald Trump’s reelection increases the chances of an end to the conservatorship for Fannie and Freddie, according to Bloomberg. Freddie and Fannie support the U.S. housing market by purchasing loans and securitizing them, while not directly offering mortgages.  

Whitlinger’s annualized target total direct compensation will be $2.4 million, including a $600,000 salary, a fixed deferred salary of $1.08 million and an at-risk deferred salary of $720,000, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing, which notes that the at-risk portion could be reduced, depending on corporate and individual performance.

“We value your experience, skills and contributions in service to our mission of making home possible. As we continue our efforts to build a better Freddie Mac and a better housing finance system, you’re the right person, right now to help us succeed,” Michele Espada, vice president of talent, wrote in a Dec. 30 letter to Whitlinger described as a memorandum agreement that outlined his compensation, included in the SEC filing. “We look forward to seeing you build upon your many talents and diversifying your experiences on this next step of your career journey.”