Richard F. Syron
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Richard F. Syron is a former chairman and chief executive officer of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Freddie Mac. He previously served as chairman and CEO of Thermo Electron Corp., and as CEO of the American Stock Exchange.


Early life and education

Syron graduated from
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
with a bachelor's degree and earned advanced degrees in economics from Tufts University.


Career


Paul Volcker and Federal Reserve of Boston

He served as assistant to Paul Volcker, then the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal Reserve Board, in 1981 and 1982, and previously served as deputy assistant secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury. In that with responsibility for developing the department's position on all domestic economic policy issues, and extensive interaction with other executive branch agencies, United States Congress, Congress and the public. Syron held a senior post at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1989 through 1994, and was a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, which sets monetary policy.


American Stock Exchange

He joined the American Stock Exchange as CEO in 1994 held that post for five years, which included its merger in 1998 into the National Association of Securities Dealers.


Thermo Electron and Freddie Mac

Syron joined Thermo Electron as CEO in 1999, and moved to his post at Freddie Mac in 2003. In 2004, David Andrukonis, the chief risk officer of Freddie Mac, warned Syron of increasing risk in Freddie Mac's portfolio. Syron declined to act. In December 2007, Syron told financial analysts that he expected Freddie Mac would incur heavy losses because of the weakening housing market and rising mortgage defaults. Despite these forecasts, and concerns over the fiscal stability of Freddie Mac due to larger-than-expected write-offs, Syron reportedly took home over $19 million in cash, stocks, and other executive compensation in 2007. Syron was terminated September 6, 2008, under a Federal Housing Finance Agency plan for conservatorship of Freddie Mac. It was not known at the time if he would receive a severance package. On December 9, 2008, he testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill regarding Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Subprime mortgage crisis, financial market instability.


References


Freddie Mac CEO got $19.8 million in 2007

Top Executive Profiles, Richard F. Syron, Portfolio.com


External links

* 1943 births American chief executives of financial services companies American financial businesspeople Boston College alumni Federal Reserve Bank of Boston presidents Living people Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences alumni {{business-bio-stub