Smriti L. Popenoe, is President and Co-Chief Investment Officer at Dynex Capital, a public mortgage REIT listed on the NYSE. She leads a team responsible for the day-to-day management of the Company’s investment portfolio including agency and non-agency RMBS, CMBS and whole loans, associated hedges in fixed income derivatives and financing arrangements. Ms. Popenoe’s 27 year career in finance and capital markets spans a broad range of financial institutions and experience across multiple business and market cycles. Prior to Dynex, she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer at PHH Corporation, a leading provider of mortgage banking and fleet management outsourcing services. Before joining PHH, Ms. Popenoe was Senior Vice President, Balance Sheet Management, managing the $100+ billion investment portfolio at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo) through the financial crisis in 2009. Ms. Popenoe also served as Senior Vice President, Investments of Sunset Financial Resources, a start-up REIT from 2003-2006. She spent nine years of the first part of her career with Freddie Mac, where she managed the investment portfolio of $400-billion fixed-rate MBS and whole loans.
Ms. Popenoe holds a B.S. in Chemistry and Environmental Science from St. Joseph's College in Bangalore, India (1990); a Masters-Level French Diploma from the Alliance Francaise (1990); and an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester (1993). She received her Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1997 (CFA). She is passionate about the environment, mentoring women, personal growth and lifelong learning.