Government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac [1]
[1] this week announced experienced personnel-management professional Dionne Wallace Oakley will serve as its SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO).
In this role, the insurance industry veteran will be a member of the company's senior operating committee and will report directly to Freddie Mac CEO Michael DeVito, who commented on her appointment via press release [2].
“It is with great pleasure that we announce Dionne Wallace Oakley as our next head of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer,” DeVito said. “Ms. Wallace Oakley has extensive experience across the insurance and financial services industry, and she will be at the forefront of many very important initiatives for the company, including talent acquisition, leadership development, and our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. I thank Angela Locke for her dedication to our company by serving in an interim role for the past seven months.”
Wallace Oakley brings more than 20 years of human resources experience to Freddie Mac, most recently serving as EVP, Human Resources and Strategy at Erie Insurance. In that role she oversaw human resources, strategic communications, strategy, and privacy. She also spent more than two decades at State Farm Insurance where she progressed through multiple positions and disciplines ranging from underwriting, public affairs, and auto claims to human resources.
“I am excited to join Freddie Mac at this critical moment for the company and our country,” said Wallace Oakley. “I’m looking forward to supporting Freddie Mac’s strong culture and talented workforce as we seek to address important issues of diversity, equity and inclusion we face as a nation. I’m also pleased to contribute to the company’s mission of making home possible for millions of homeowners and renters from every background.”
Wallace Oakley, whose first day at Freddie Mac is slated for September 15, is active in the community, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of the HR Policy Association, the lead public policy organization of CHROs.
Wallace Oakley is the GSE's third major executive hire in the past few months—MichaelDeVito took over [3]as CEO in June and last month it promoted Jerry Mauricio [4]to Chief Compliance Officer.