What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first paying jobs were in high school and college in retail stores as a sales person. I realized that if I went the extra mile I would get noticed and receive more responsibility. I learned that I like working with people and that I am good at influencing and motivating others. My first job out of college was doing research at a community health center, and was my path to a technology career. The center's grant was funded by the Stanford Research Institute and I was fortunate to receive training in large management information systems from Stanford as part of the job. I learned how to work well as part of a team which has been invaluable in a technology career.

Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire? Why?

I have been blessed with great bosses who served as mentors in my career. My first boss Jim Walker, took a real interest and encouraged me to get my MBA. He allowed me to do some creative arrangements to balance work and school. I could never have completed my graduate degree without his support. The head of my practice in consulting, Jim Zucco, taught me more about how to operate in business than anyone in my career. His favorite saying was a quote from Nietzsche, "What doesn't kill you will make you strong." He pushed me to do things I wouldn't have believed I could have done, and I developed a stronger sense of my own bandwidth and capabilities. My current boss Bill Kelvie, is world class in strategy. The power of his intellect keeps me continually challenged. He sees the possibility and opportunity that technology can provide to enable business. The best part about all three of these people is that they have high integrity and ethics combined with a great sense of humor.

What is your favorite book?

I am a voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction. So its hard for me to choose a favorite. On the fiction front, I enjoyed The Underworld by Delillo and The God of Small Things by Roy. In nonfiction, In Sir Vida's Shadow by Theroux and Titan by Chernow were recent favorites.

What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?

Electronic commerce will change the way business is done. The power of the Internet is the access it gives consumers to information. This will change how products are designed, how business relationships are formed, and how value is created. I think it is an exciting time of incredible opportunity.

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?

Fannie Mae's mission is to provide low and moderate income families with access to funds for housing. The most interesting part of my job is providing solutions to the business that further this mission. Since the mortgage process can be paper intensive and slow, technology is a great enabler to improve the process.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment has been building my current team. I run a large development organization and all of our work is accomplished through project teams. I did targeted hiring and intensive training when I first took over the organization, and the talent in the organization today compared to when I started astounds me. If you create an environment where people can succeed, they will do extraordinary things.

What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?

I came to Fannie Mae in 1991, when the entire processing infrastructure was largely mainframe based. At that time, the mortgage guaranty business needed a "Live Pricing" application to compete. The business concept was to create an on-line, real time trading system that would allow customers to view prices and commit to deals via an electronic interface. I looked at the business goals and quickly realized that a client server distributed computing approach could best satisfy the business need. Time to market requirements were aggressive, and the goal was to deliver product to customers in six months. My team bet on new technologies and delivered Fannie Mae's first client server transaction processing system. This first application became the foundation for the migration to a standardized client server architecture.

What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?

Technology is a great field for women. Get a broad-based business background in addition to developing technical skills. Learn how to negotiate and work in teams. And finally, choose what you have a passion for and you will succeed. Nothing will come without hard work, dedication and tenacity.