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MortgagePoint ยป Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 42 November 2025 F E A T U R E S T O R Y utives. I learned a lot from that season in my life, and I recognized there was such a need for more female mentorship in the industry, which is why I co-founded WEB. I wanted to create that space for other women to learn, grow, and con- nect. That said, the most impactful men- tor in my life as I grew my career was my mother. She set the example of someone strong, confident, and assertive. She was a Cuban immigrant, and she taught me the value of a strong work ethic, which, together with her other traits, helped to shape me to be the woman and profes- sional that I am today. Q: What is the most critical piece of advice you would give to women beginning their careers in this industry? I think it's important for women early in their careers to realize that only focusing on their work to demonstrate their worth is not enough. They need to devote time to building relation- ships with both men and women to be successful. Industry events, like The Five Star, are a great opportunity to do that. Making connections and building their network is a key skill for women looking to excel and seize new opportunities. I'd also share with them the importance of remaining teachable and eager to learn. The servicing industry is complex, yet rewarding, so positioning themselves to connect with other leaders and glean from their experience is a must. Laurie A. Maggiano Legacy Award JENNIFER STOCKETT Senior Advisor, External Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Q: What are your proudest career achievements thus far? I'd have to go back to the 1980s when I was the only woman at Bear Stearns trading on Wall Street. I learned a lot. I felt accepted, to a point. That was a very important part of starting my career in the financial industry, and it helped open lots of doors when I decided to leave New York. The other proudest career achieve- ment was working for the federal gov- ernment on the HAMP program. It was something that helped me understand really what homeownership was all about and what losing that might mean. In Southern California, I went to all the events. All the servicers were in these huge convention rooms, trying to help people who would come in with boxes of paperwork. The team, the GSEs, and the servicers were helping us together, and it really made a huge difference in keeping the economy on track. Q: Are there any women who have served as career mentors for you, and what did you learn from them? When I worked at the FDIC, I was there to help manage the closing of banks and the assets that we took over. Every week, I had to report to the board, and Sheila Bair was the chairman at the time, and they made me sit right across from her. So here I am, new to the job, but getting my feet wet. And Sheila comes across the table, slams her hand down, and says, "Jennifer, this number doesn't make sense." And the number she was referring to, I got from Legal. But I told her, "I'll have an answer for you first thing in the morning." And we got it all straightened out, but what it taught me was how she expected people to give her informa- tion. Because she was on the line every day. She had to be out there speaking with reporters, and she needed answers quickly. I didn't have the right answer for her, and she laid me out. But I learned something from that. I needed to be better prepared. I needed to know that the Legal team was giving me the right information. So, Sheila Bair may not have known she was mentoring people, but we sure did learn fast. The other one is someone from Fan- nie Mae, Jeff Hayward. He retired not too long ago, but he recruited me. I was Chief of Staff for the Vice Chairman, and he recruited me to help with some projects that were to help low-income families get mortgages. We were having our performance review, and he said, "I have some advice for you. You need to learn how to turn the other cheek." That was really helpful for me because I was leading teams, and I needed to do more listening to people, to have them more involved, instead of just taking it up to leadership. So, I learned a lot from him. Q: What is the most critical piece of advice you would give to women beginning their careers in this industry? Especially in today's world, it's getting a work-life balance. Women and men are juggling the same things. When I was working, it was mostly the women who took care of the family, but even sharing with your partner or spouse or significant other, balancing that and not putting 100% of yourself into your career. Mental and physical health are important, and that's the work-life balance.