Freddie Mac promotes from within for CFO role

James Whitlinger, interim chief financial officer at Freddie Mac since Christian Lown's departure last summer, has been appointed to the job on a full-time basis. His title is executive vice president and CFO.

"Jim is a proven leader with more than 30 years of financial management and accounting experience," said Freddie Mac CEO Diana Reid in a press release. "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."

Reid was appointed to the top job at Freddie Mac in September.

Whitlinger joined the government-sponsored enterprise in September 2014 as the single-family CFO. Before that, he was senior vice president at Univest Bank & Trust from October 2013, his LinkedIn profile said.

Prior to that, Whitlinger was working for GMAC ResCap for 21 years, including a two-year stretch as its executive vice president and chief financial officer as the company was wrapping up its operations.

For a period, Whitlinger was also the senior vice president and chief accounting officer at GMAC Mortgage.

"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."

As the interim CFO, and before Reid's hiring, Whitlinger hosted the last two Freddie Mac earnings calls.

After a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on June 11 disclosed Lown's impending departure from Freddie Mac, days later online data and real estate marketplace company CoStar Group announced he would be joining as its CFO.