The data on executives in banking and financial sectors reveals a striking lack of women in the C-suites. In 2014, only three women led major U.S. banks, while just 17.6% of Fortune 500 companies had female CEOs and only 11.4% had female CFOs.
Which makes HousingWire’s list of the 2015 Women of Influence even more amazing.
Our editorial team’s original idea to feature 30 women was immediately shelved given the number of outstanding nominations we received. We increased the number to 40 as an absolute cut off, lamenting the tough choices we were still faced with.
Our list is full of executives — from CEOs and CFOs to presidents and executive directors. Many of the women who are helming companies founded or co-founded them, with stunning results.
But mere stats don’t tell the real story of these outstanding leaders. They represent the whole spectrum of the housing economy, from real estate agents to originators to nonprofits. They lead companies, mentor others and give back to their communities. And each one is inspiring.
Even a quick look at some of our winners, pictured left, illustrates their high level of leadership. Renee Glover serves as chairman of the board for Habitat for Humanity International, sits on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and works as CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority. Julian Grey, a vice president at CoreLogic, launched the company’s HPI Indexfor lenders in 2007 and is now driving the Index’s expansion into stress-test scenarios for compliance. And Deborah Jenkins, senior vice president of multifamily lending and national head of underwriting and credit at Freddie Mac, who in the last 12 months has helped to transform the GSE into one of the largest issuers of structured credit in the U.S. (Jenkins also made our list in 2013).
HousingWire is proud to recognize the 2015 Women of Influence for their accomplishments, their passion and their leadership as they drive the housing economy forward.
