Freddie Mac has announced the appointment of James Whitlinger as EVP and CFO. Whitlinger previously served as the company’s SVP and Single-Family CFO since 2014. He has served as Interim CFO since June of 2024, following the departure of Christian Lown, who served as CFO from June of 2020 to June 2024.
“It’s with great pleasure that we announce Jim Whitlinger as the company’s new chief financial officer,” said Diana Reid, CEO of Freddie Mac. “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.”
In his new role, Whitlinger will be responsible for the company’s financial controls, accounting, ESG strategy, investor relations, financial planning and reporting, tax, capital oversight, and compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. He will also be a member of the GSE’s senior operating committee, and will report directly to Reid.
Whitlinger has worked in the real estate finance industry for more than three decades, most recently serving as SVP at Univest Bank and Trust Company. Prior to Univest, he served as EVP and CFO at GMAC ResCap Inc.
“I am excited and humbled to be chosen as Freddie Mac’s next CFO,” said Whitlinger. “I thank Freddie Mac’s Board and the company’s outstanding senior leadership team for their confidence, and I look forward to leading the talented and hardworking individuals who make up our Finance Division.”
In September, Freddie Mac’s Board of Directors announced the selection of real estate and financial services industry veteran Reid to serve as the company’s new CEO. Reid also serves as a member of Freddie Mac’s Board of Directors. Reid brings more than four decades of banking, real estate, capital markets and affordable housing experience to Freddie Mac. She spent nearly 12 years leading PNC Financial Services Group’s real estate business division through the financial crisis and on to a period of significant growth.
