Craig L. Knutson has been at the forefront of MFA Financial, Inc. since mid-2017, where he is currently the CEO and President. Born in 1959, he brings over 30 years of experience in finance and mortgage trading to the table....
Craig L. Knutson has been at the forefront of MFA Financial, Inc. since mid-2017, where he is currently the CEO and President. Born in 1959, he brings over 30 years of experience in finance and mortgage trading to the table. He joined MFA Financial in 2008 as an executive vice president and quickly climbed the ranks to become Co-CEO. Notably, he assumed the role of sole CEO after the passing of a previous leader. Under his leadership, MFA has focused on maintaining strong performance metrics, including Adjusted Return on Average Equity, which is critical in their sector. His financial acumen was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when he received a bonus reflecting his significant contribution and leadership during a tough time. Knutson emphasizes aligning executive pay with company performance, reinforcing a culture that drives shareholder value. He's crafted a compensation strategy that rewards executives based on individual and overall company performance. Despite the intense scrutiny of financial professionals, Knutson has remained a steady hand at MFA, steering the company through changing market conditions with proven expertise.