Fannie Mae has appointed Jeffery Hayward to the newly created position of EVP and Chief Administrative Officer and Michele Evans as EVP and Head of Multifamily, effective immediately. Hayward, previously Head of Fannie Mae’s Multifamily business, will lead Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing; Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); Human Resources; Diversity & Inclusion; and Enterprise Workplace teams. Evans most recently served as Fannie Mae Multifamily COO.
The new role of CAO reflects Fannie Mae’s ongoing commitment to affordable housing, diversity and inclusion, and leading the industry with the company’s ESG efforts.
“We’re fortunate to have someone of Jeff’s unique experience and talent to help us mobilize our most important asset — our human capital. 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,” said David C. Benson, President, Fannie Mae. “Michele has built strong, trusted relationships with our Multifamily customers, driven change and innovation, and managed Multifamily’s business operations. 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.”
“I am thrilled to take the helm of the newly created Chief Administrative Officer organization,” 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.”
Hayward joined Fannie Mae in 1987 and has served as EVP and Head of Multifamily since 2012.
“The challenges of financing quality rental housing and the accelerated pace of technological development in the industry are converging,” said Michele Evans, Executive Vice President and Head of Multifamily, Fannie Mae. “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.”
As Multifamily’s COO, Evans helped guide Multifamily’s digital transformation, automate its pricing and underwriting, and launch its credit risk transfer business. Evans has been with Fannie Mae since 1992.