Haben Tesfaye Card

Haben Tesfaye was born in a small town called Adigrat in Ethiopia where she was raised by her mother for most of her childhood. She grew up inspired by her mother, Tsehay, who was a hardworking elementary school teacher who valued community and instilled in her family the importance of giving back. Despite financial struggles, her mother’s positive spirit and unwavering faith kept the family strong — which left a lasting impact on Haben. Haben would later move to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia where her father lived.

Haben earned her bachelor’s degree in management of information systems from Unity University in Addis Ababa before she came to the United States via the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery program. The program offers green cards to people living in countries with low rates of migration to the states. Haben was fortunate to have been awarded one of the limited number of visas granted per year.

When Haben immigrated to the United States, she initially settled in Loudoun County, Virginia before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2012, she was hired as a contract worker at Freddie Mac before eventually converting to a full-time employee. Haben worked in the Asset Management department for nine years before moving to the Multifamily Technology & Operational Risk department. During her time at Freddie Mac, she utilized employee benefits programs to achieve personal milestones like obtaining her master’s in real estate from Georgetown University and becoming a homeowner.

Today, Haben is a product owner for one of the systems servicers use to conduct business. As a product owner, she ensures the alignment of technology processes with business needs and requirements. Recently, Haben led the transition of Master Servicer reporting to the myOptigo® platform, which streamlines reporting to make doing business easier.

Remaining true to her mother’s values, Haben expresses gratitude for her opportunities by participating in volunteer activities in her community. In her free time, she takes part in church-led opportunities such as serving meals at homeless shelters or spending time with senior citizens in nursing homes.

Let’s hear more from Haben.

What is the value of diversity within teams?

A: Diversity does not just benefit a team, but the people who need to be included. I’m a woman and an immigrant, and I am where I am today because of Freddie Mac’s culture of diversity. This inclusive culture gives people the opportunity to contribute to a greater cause. Diversity benefits teams by joining different perspectives, life experiences and backgrounds. Diversity allows us to be more creative by seeing things from different directions. When we work together, we help each other find the best possible solution to an issue. 

What makes a good teammate?

A: Gina Thompson who was my manager and like a mentor to me at Freddie Mac once said something that stuck with me: “You can teach people skills, but you can’t teach them attitude.” We don’t start working our jobs knowing everything — we make mistakes and learn as we go. We can learn from our leaders, our colleagues and experience, but we must bring the right attitude. So a good teammate to me is someone with a positive attitude who is willing to work together to accomplish a common goal.

Gina is the best example of a good teammate. She goes out of her way to check in with others, whether it’s about a project or just to say, “Good morning!” These small gestures make a team more valued and reminds us that we’re all contributing to the same goal. You may not be able to teach attitude, but Gina’s patience and consideration set a great example.  

Which women figures do you admire?

A: My inspiration is my mom, Tsehay Weldearegay. She passed away two and a half decades ago. My mom was the strongest woman I know, always joyful and always optimistic. I remember she always had a big smile on her face and our house was full of laughter. She had the best laugh. Her joy wasn’t from material things but her trust in God. As a teacher in a small town, she wasn’t making a lot of money. There were times when we didn’t have enough, but my mom never showed us if she was stressed or worried. She believed the creator would provide and seeing the way God blessed my life shows the truth of what she said. I learned so much from her but still have a long way to go to be the woman she was.