As Fannie Mae’s executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary, Terry Theologides is responsible for the Legal Department and Government and Industry Relations while serving as a key member of the firm’s Management Committee and senior advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors. Theologides has led the Legal team, and helped lead the company, through a period of tremendous external and regulatory pressures, including new leadership at Fannie Mae’s regulator and conservator, a pronounced shift in priorities from conservatorship exit preparation to a focus on mission, and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the many actions Fannie Mae took to ensure the stability of the mortgage market and provide support for struggling homeowners and renters. Without diminishing the accuracy or completeness of their legal advice, Theologides and the Legal team have led the company to embrace a pragmatic and risk-balanced approach — enabling the business to pursue its objectives on a well-informed and compliance basis.

Theologides provides value to the entire company, making key hires and promotions and transforming roles within the organization to expand responsibility with stretch assignments and exposure across business units. He has also invested in upgrading the Legal Operations function in pursuit of greater digitization, automation and optimization of key recurring legal tasks. However, according to Theologides, his greatest achievements are the people he’s helped mentor and develop into stronger attorneys and leaders, including over a dozen general counsels. Theologides is committed to the continuous improvement of his organization and more importantly, the people in it.

What has been your secret to success?  

“Always striving to hire and develop people who are smarter and more talented than I am.”

Name:

Terry Theologides

Title:

EVP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary

Company Name:

Fannie Mae