WD 8-K
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (WD)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On September 11, 2025, at the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (the “Company”), the Board increased its size from seven to eight directors and elected Ernest M. Freedman to the Board, effective immediately, to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders of the Company and until his successor is duly elected and qualified. The Board also appointed Mr. Freedman to serve on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board (the “Audit and Risk Committee”), effective immediately.
Mr. Freedman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH) from 2015 to 2023. Mr. Freedman previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“Aimco”) from 2009 to 2015. Mr. Freedman joined Aimco in 2007 as Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis and also served as Senior Vice President of Finance. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Freedman served as Chief Financial Officer of HEI Hotels and Resorts. From 2000 to 2004, Mr. Freedman held various roles at GE Real Estate in a number of capacities, including operations controller and finance manager for investments and acquisitions. From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Freedman held various positions with Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Freedman has also served as an advisor to Roots Management Group, an investment company dedicated to providing affordable housing since 2023. Mr. Freedman is a certified public accountant.
The Board has determined that Mr. Freedman is an independent director under listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and meets the heightened independence standards for service on the Audit and Risk Committee set forth in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Board has also determined that Mr. Freedman qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined by the applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations and that Mr. Freedman is “financially literate” as that term is defined by the NYSE listing standards.
In connection with his election to the Board, the Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Freedman providing for the indemnification of and advancement of expenses to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law for claims, suits or proceedings arising out of a director’s service to the Company.
Mr. Freedman will receive the same fees for his service on the Board and Audit and Risk Committee as the Company’s other independent directors, which fees were disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Mr. Freedman’s annual cash compensation and restricted stock award will be pro-rated from the date of Mr. Freedman’s election to the Board.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On September 11, 2025, the Company issued a press release (the “Press Release”) announcing the election of Mr. Freedman to the Board and the Audit and Risk Committee. A copy of the Press Release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
The information contained in this Item 7.01 and the Press Release shall be considered “furnished” and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any reports or filings with the SEC, whether made before or after the date hereof, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description |
| 99.1 | Press Release dated September 11, 2025. |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (Registrant) | |||
| Date: September 11, 2025 | By: | /s/ Daniel J. Groman | |
| Name: | Daniel J. Groman | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||
Exhibit 99.1
Walker & Dunlop Board of Directors Welcomes Ernest Freedman
Bethesda, Maryland— September 11, 2025—Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced today that Ernest (Ernie) Freedman was elected to its board of directors as an independent director and member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Freedman recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH), the largest single-family home leasing and management company in the United States.
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Ernie to our board of directors,” said Walker & Dunlop Chairman and CEO Willy Walker. “Ernie’s deep knowledge of rental housing and capital markets, combined with his financial management expertise as a public company CFO is a unique skillset that will add great value to our board of directors.”
Prior to Invitation Homes, Freedman was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco), one of the largest owners and operators of apartment communities in the United States and chief financial officer of HEI Hotels and Resorts. He also held various positions at GE Real Estate and Ernst & Young.
“I have long admired Walker & Dunlop’s dramatic growth and market leadership position and am honored to be joining its exceptional board of directors,” commented Freedman.
About Walker & Dunlop
Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States and internationally. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. Our innovative people, breadth of our brand, and our technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms in the commercial real estate industry.
Contacts:
| Investors: | Media: |
| Kelsey Duffey | Nina H. von Waldegg |
| Investor Relations | VP, Public Relations |
| Phone 301.202.3207 | Phone 301.564.3291 |
| [email protected] | [email protected] |
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Phone 301.215.5500
7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 |
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