Donna Corley is one of the most influential women at Freddie Mac and within the housing and mortgage industry. 

Motivated by innovation and moving the housing industry forward, her goal as leader of the single-family business is to reshape the housing market through lasting change. 

In the past year during challenging times and uncharted waters, Corley successfully navigated the path forward for the single-family business, leveraging the firm’s unparalleled strengths to provide liquidity and stability in a time of crisis. 

Under her strong leadership, Freddie Mac has implemented policy flexibilities that have helped drive origination volumes to new heights—even at the peak of a pandemic. Corley has achieved numerous accomplishments over the past year. As the new head of single-family, Corley revamped the business’s vision and focus, empowering the organization to focus on exiting conservatorship under the guidance of FHFA and becoming the leader in housing. 

To better execute on her vision, Corley also developed three key strategic pillars—people, platform and performance—and the Freddie Mac team is thriving under this new structure. Corley has been a champion for helping the organization and her team understand Freddie Mac clients’ needs, and she was instrumental in helping deliver products that made them more successful. 

She focused on overhauling the client eligibility experience, which is enabling Freddie Mac to leverage data analytics and cutting-edge technology to better meet clients’ needs. This includes providing leadership for innovative approaches to managing risk for the company’s latest technology products and developments.

What has been your secret to success?
“Build strong, supportive professional networks – not just personal friendships, but professional relationships, too. And once you make it to the top of the ladder, success means more if you lean in and help those coming up the rungs.”