Hyun-Jung (HJ) Oum
Fueled by Family
Hyun-Jung (HJ) Oum was born in Seoul, South Korea, where she lived with her family until 1987, when they immigrated to the United States and settled in the Northern Virginia area. Arriving in America at the age of six, HJ had to learn a lot quickly, including English, to adapt to her new life. Her family owned a small restaurant, and she and her sister spent much of their childhood helping out and translating for their parents. HJ did this throughout her early school years, and this experience nurtured her natural desire to help people and instilled in her a strong work ethic.
HJ began her professional career in retail banking at Bank of America, where she first learned about Freddie Mac and became inspired to someday join the organization. She then moved on to work at Primary Residential Mortgage, focusing on single-family mortgage loan processing. Here, she met her long-time friend and future manager, Jonathan Yu.
In 2016, HJ joined Freddie Mac Multifamily. Brought over by Jonathan, who had moved to Freddie Mac a couple of years prior, the two of them led the Multifamily Production Operations team. HJ spent eight years on the Production Operations team and a little over a year ago, transitioned to her current role as a manager on the Multifamily Fraud and Financial Crimes team. Below, HJ shares what makes working at Freddie Mac so special and why she has continued to work here for much of her career.
What do you like most about working at Freddie Mac?
A: When I began my career, working at Freddie Mac was a dream and goal for me. Upon joining, I quickly discovered how amazing the team environment and culture are. I love coming to work and having the opportunity to collaborate with my immediate team members, colleagues across the division and entire enterprise. We all contribute vast experiences and celebrate a collaborative, rather than competitive, culture. This kind of partnership makes the work enjoyable every single day. I also appreciate that my colleagues are open to fostering lasting relationships, as this is something I genuinely care about. I know a lot of my coworkers professionally and personally and am fortunate to have developed many enduring relationships that have evolved into lifelong friendships.
How do you see your job impacting the bigger mission to Make Home Possible?
A: In my previous role in Multifamily Production Operations, I had the opportunity to observe and support the direct impact we have on the business' front line through origination and the creation and management of efficient processes. It all begins with managing Optigo® lenders and sponsors to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the housing market.
In my current role in Multifamily Fraud and Financial Crimes, my team is responsible for managing technology, operations and reporting initiatives to prevent, detect and report fraud while mitigating risk to Freddie Mac. Our ultimate goal is to ensure we are making sound loans to reputable property owners who are genuinely committed to offering good, safe and affordable housing to their tenants. As the child of immigrant parents, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of homeownership, not only financially but also due to language barriers and lack of financial literacy — so supporting making homeownership possible is deeply important to me.
What trait makes a great teammate?
A: I’d say dependability. I emphasize this trait within my team, and it’s a standard I hold myself to. I encourage providing timely responses and updates and stress the importance of meeting deadlines or proactively communicating unforeseen delays. Being dependable and maintaining an open line of communication is crucial for building trust and relationships.
Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self?
A: Avoid comparing yourself to others! Your journey is unique, and your value is determined by your own timeline and efforts — not someone else's. Also, and this piece of advice I hold dear to my heart, spend as much time as possible with your parents and remember to express your affection and appreciation toward them. My parents had a significant impact on my life. They both passed away in 2010 and 2020. I am immensely grateful for the lessons they taught and opportunities they created for me.
What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
A: My greatest passion is my family. My husband and I met in high school, and we have two sons. My eldest son recently had a baby, and I love being a new grandma. My youngest son has just begun middle school, and he is really enjoying it so far! Outside of the house, my family and I are avid bowlers and participate in multiple bowling leagues. We also love going camping together, taking family trips and exploring new places to eat. A personal pastime of mine is attending concerts. I love going to see my favorite artists, like Bruno Mars, who I’ve seen perform live five times! Lastly, I have to mention our family pet, Luna! She is a miniature poodle we adopted two years ago, and she has completely changed my outlook on pets. I hadn’t been much of an animal person before, but Luna quickly won my heart!
HJ Oum and her family
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