JESSICA KORTANEK
Summary
Effective technology and risk leader responsible for risk and control identification and development of documentation required for internal systems, business lines, auditors and regulators. Ability to apply knowledge of principles and best practices required to serve as a technical/risk advisor for high impact corporate programs and initiatives for several business lines. Strong analytical and evaluation skills of risk and financial data to support IT and operational business infrastructure for internal control testing, issue management and remediation and system deployments. Effective verbal and written communicator.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager (Single Family Portfolio & Servicing)
Freddie Mac
04.2016 - 07.2025
- IT systems/application owner responsible for business process transformation while working in collaboration with various product teams in an effort to develop innovative solutions to build, sustain or enhance various IT applications for the respective business lines.
- Responsible for running a well-controlled environment by ensuring process documentation, SOX process flows, IT manuals and business application memos were in line with the current operations and system applications to meet the needs of auditors and regulators.
- Senior leader and subject matter expert responsible for participating in annual risk discussion and assessments with risk partners for appropriate recording within the GRC application.
- Managed a staff of business analysts and technical leads responsible for subject matter expertise pertaining to system requirements and enhancements as well as business support of billing, claims and the collateral monitoring of a $4B portfolio.
- Development of metrics and monitoring of trends that may impact the business.
Project Management Director (Enterprise Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
06.2013 - 03.2015
- Responsible for division initiative program management, project management and business management while driving a cooperative effort among members of a project team.
- Provided assistance to departments within the Enterprise Risk Management division in process and project management.
- Managed cross-divisional projects in support of the corporate strategy by facilitating strategic planning with senior management, key stakeholders and internal business partners.
- Lead efforts to identify and improve efficiency, effectiveness and quality within the Enterprise Risk Management Division.
Project Management Director (Enterprise Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
05.2012 - 06.2013
- Managed significant projects (e.g., strategic change management, new business and product initiatives, process re-engineering, and establishment of control procedures) within this Infrastructure area.
- Established operational objectives and work plans, and delegated assignments to subordinate managers.
- Involved in developing, modifying and executing company policies that affect immediate operations and may also have company-wide effect.
- Worked on issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth knowledge of organizational objectives.
- Implemented strategic policies when selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
- Established and assured adherence to budgets, schedules, work plans, and performance requirements.
- Interacted with senior management or executive levels on matters concerning several functional areas, divisions, and/or customers.
- Maintained, enhanced and documented policies and procedures related to Loan Loss Reserves and Credit Loss Forecast.
- Ensured control evidence related to model and analytic results is in place and in order (ability to compile, understand and contribute to).
- Maintained and updated SOX materials as necessary.
- Supported and coordinated the model change processes, including providing documentation, assessments, etc.
- Supported LLR governance processes (including coordinating meetings, meeting summaries, etc.).
- Served as point of contact and address inquiries/requests, as well as manage demands on analytic team members, to meet needs of auditors, regulators, etc.
- Screened and responded to new business initiatives.
- Established and maintained relationships with customers/suppliers of information.
Business Management Manager (Making Home Affordable Compliance)
Freddie Mac
01.2011 - 05.2012
- The Making Home Affordable Compliance (MHA-C) group serves as Compliance Agent for the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and is responsible for evaluating and reporting to Treasury on mortgage servicers participating in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and their compliance with HAMP requirements.
- MHA-C audits servicers processes and internal controls over HAMP processes by conducting on-site field reviews, file reviews, assessment of Net Present Value (NPV) models, cash incentive payment reviews, and other targeted reviews.
- Responsible for coordinating and managing the day-to-day running of an Infrastructure area, including systems development and support.
- Developed and administered schedules, and performance requirements.
- Responsible for budgeting, forecasting and monitoring the Infrastructure area costs and involvement with strategic business planning and change management initiatives.
- Managed the coordination of the activities of a department.
- Managed (3) Senior Compliance Examiners, (5) Junior Compliance Examiners and (25) consultants, while providing guidance within the latitude of established company policies, as well as act as an advisor to subordinates to meet schedules and/or resolve technical problems.
- Recommended changes to policies and established procedures that affect immediate organization's operation.
- Worked on issues of diverse scope where analysis of situation or data requires evaluation of a variety of factors, including the understanding of current business trends.
- Managed external due diligence vendors for quality control production metrics and expense/costs.
- Trained internal staff on New HAMP programs and proprietary system usage.
- Developed quality control procedures and refine quality control reporting.
- Implemented new programs as needed.
Operational Risk Manager (Making Home Affordable Compliance)
Freddie Mac
06.2010 - 01.2011
- The Making Home Affordable Compliance (MHA-C) group serves as Compliance Agent for the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and is responsible for evaluating and reporting to Treasury on mortgage servicers participating in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and their compliance with HAMP requirements.
- MHA-C audits servicers processes and internal controls over HAMP processes by conducting on-site field reviews, file reviews, assessment of Net Present Value (NPV) models, cash incentive payment reviews, and other targeted reviews.
- Responsible for undertaking assessments of business unit exposures, identifying risks, evaluating their potential impact and reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the organizations existing controls.
- Reduced income volatility for the organization as well as increased the level of customer service and satisfaction.
- Performed actions to maximize preparedness for business continuity as well as change management.
- Partnered with other risk functions to develop and implement controls that mitigate business risks.
- Ongoing monitoring of control compliance and the prevalent risk environment to ensure that exposures are kept at acceptable levels.
- Represented the organization as the principal customer contact on contracts and often performed a project leadership role.
- Interacted with senior customer personnel on significant technical matters frequently requiring coordination across organizational lines.
Operational Risk Manager (Non-Performing Loans, Default Fulfillment Ops., Strategy & Initiatives)
Freddie Mac
05.2008 - 06.2010
- Managed the implementation and execution of all aspects of the operating risk function, and the File Quality Review & Compliance function to ensure appropriate implementation of processes, tools and systems to identify, assess, measure and monitor operating business risk in Default Asset Management.
- Planned and worked with staff and external vendor to implement the Administration's Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan to ensure compliance with the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Making Home Affordable Initiative by establishing standards and methodology for both staff and our third party vendor in order to be in compliance with regulatory reporting and program requirements.
- Lead for Default Asset Management Risk Managers/Directors to ensure compliance in regards to post and pre-implementation reviews, as well as business change initiatives.
- Assisted in the development and management of processes to identify and evaluate business area's operating risk and control self-assessments.
- Managed the process for developing and updating department policies and procedures.
- Monitored major and critical operating risk issues.
- Managed the process for elevating control risks to more senior levels as appropriate. Worked with Operational Risk Management Oversight and Division Risk Management Oversight as appropriate.
- Managed the corporate operating risk and control assessment reporting process on a quarterly basis, as well as managed and maintained infrastructure elements.
- Developed, maintained and enhanced management reporting.
- Supported the business line during Internal and External Audits.
- Ensured servicer and internal negotiators compliance with Freddie Mac's Seller Servicer Guide and delegations through management of the File Quality Review and Compliance team.
- Managed a staff of four internal employees, three consultants, and twelve outsourced employees who were responsible for both the risk management support function and File Quality Review & Compliance process.
Operational Risk Management Specialist (Operations Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
09.2006 - 05.2008
- Worked with Operational Risk Oversight and business areas to provide operational risk management coverage for Single Family Mortgage Operations by being an expert in the areas' processes, proactively identifying operational risks, developing recommendations to mitigate or eliminate risks and worked with the business areas and other division staff to implement recommendations.
- Collected data from staff to update the Single Family Scorecard and portions of the Operations Risk Management scorecard for reporting to Senior Leadership.
- Provided subject matter expertise and education to Single Family staff in connection with operational risk applications, as well as assisted EORM with the enhancement of the loss event reporting tool (OpVantage).
- Supported management in the maintenance of current and well-documented policies and procedures, assessed and validated policies and procedures to ensure proper controls were included and were a reflection of actual business operations.
- Provided management with proactive support in resolving outstanding operational issues.
- Made recommendations regarding the hiring of new staff.
- Provided support for internal and external audits and reviews.
- Supported Single Family's operational risk management processes, including loss event tracking, KRIs, major issues tracking, interfacing with internal audit, risk and control assessments and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX).
- Provided support to staff for obtaining access to all operational risk applications.
- Maintained Single Family's portion of the Delegations of Authority, wire transfer authority and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer delegations.
- Supported the Senior Vice President's FIN 45 attestations in preparation for the release of interim or annual financial statements.
Business Applications Analyst Associate (Single Family Operations – Cash Management Operations)
Freddie Mac
06.2004 - 09.2005
- Served as department's BCP (Business Continuity Planning) liaison for compliance reporting and test exercises.
- Provided training for the department's staff on systems and processes.
- Participated in the quarterly Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) process by assisting management with the identification and assessment of risks.
- Assisted in customer reporting, and issue tracking by utilizing OpVantage.
- Responsible for department's Employee Communications.
- Assisted and monitored compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX).
- Implemented department policies and procedures.
- Approved/initiated all security requests by using the Information Security Request (ISR) system.
- Developed and enhanced systems by bringing specific business knowledge to the technical design process.
Budget Analyst Associate (Legal Division)
Freddie Mac
02.2002 - 06.2004
- Transitioned approximately 17 directors from the MARC reporting process to the newly implemented RCSA process; and provided training on the Horizon software package.
- Conducted meetings quarterly with all directors to ensure they had appropriately identified and assessed their department's risks.
- Responsible for the review and roll-up of all departments' risk reporting analysis to the SVP – General Counsel on a quarterly basis.
- Prepared division reports (both standard and ad hoc) using Crystal Reports and Microsoft software.
- Responsible for New Hire Training on systems, processes, policies and procedures.
- Performed periodic and ad hoc analysis, as needed, for the Vice President - Principal Deputy General Counsel, department attorneys, managers and other staff using data maintained in Lautrec, Multifamily and Single family databases.
- Supported divisional budgeting and forecasting process by providing reports and analysis.
- Prepared the Legal Division's Chargeback report on a monthly basis to meet Corporate Accounting deadlines.
- Responsible for keeping the Divisions website current. Update and posted window period closing page for stocks at a moment's notice.
- Attended monthly Desktop Compliance meetings led by PC Asset Management and disseminated information to the Legal Division as appropriate.
- Provided approvals for Information Security Requests.
- Prepared policies and procedures for the Management and Control Systems Unit and ensured that Divisional policies and procedures were updated as needed.
- Created and distributed the monthly missing time reports for each department within the Legal Division, and provided the management team with an evaluation of progress as needed.
Legal Administrative Coordinator (Legal Division)
Freddie Mac
10.2000 - 02.2002
- Assisted several attorneys and paralegals in the Mortgage Law Department, continually exhibiting the ability to handle multiple tasks concurrently.
- Assisted in reviewing nonstandard notes, and preparing contracts and terms of business.
- Additional responsibilities included completion of projects using Office 2000 including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Utilization of multiple software programs such as LawTrac, DPM, Lexis Nexis, and Lotus Notes.
- Creation of calendar entries and scheduling of travel arrangements, among various other administrative duties.
Education
Business Management & Legal Studies Certification -
Washington Business School
Vienna, VA06-1997
Skills
- Strategic planning
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Operations management
- Cross-functional team coordination
- Financial Risk & Compliance
- Troubleshooting and problem resolution
- Business performance management
Accomplishments
- Effectively executed and managed the operations of a high profile program to shift mortgage credit risk away from U.S. taxpayers.
Timeline
Senior Manager (Single Family Portfolio & Servicing)
Freddie Mac
04.2016 - 07.2025
Project Management Director (Enterprise Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
06.2013 - 03.2015
Project Management Director (Enterprise Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
05.2012 - 06.2013
Business Management Manager (Making Home Affordable Compliance)
Freddie Mac
01.2011 - 05.2012
Operational Risk Manager (Making Home Affordable Compliance)
Freddie Mac
06.2010 - 01.2011
Operational Risk Manager (Non-Performing Loans, Default Fulfillment Ops., Strategy & Initiatives)
Freddie Mac
05.2008 - 06.2010
Operational Risk Management Specialist (Operations Risk Management)
Freddie Mac
09.2006 - 05.2008
Business Applications Analyst Associate (Single Family Operations – Cash Management Operations)
Freddie Mac
06.2004 - 09.2005
Budget Analyst Associate (Legal Division)
Freddie Mac
02.2002 - 06.2004
Legal Administrative Coordinator (Legal Division)
Freddie Mac
10.2000 - 02.2002
Business Management & Legal Studies Certification -
Washington Business School