Highlighting our Leaders

Deb Still, Pulte Mortgage Chief Executive Officer 

Debra W. Still is President and Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Mortgage LLC, a nationwide lender that offers Pulte Homes’ customers a wide variety of loan products and superior customer service. Pulte Mortgage is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and also operates a major processing center in Charlotte, N.C. The company employs 1,300 individuals throughout the United States and, since 1972, has helped more than 300,000 homebuyers finance their new home purchases.

Ms. Still joined Pulte Mortgage in 1983 as Vice President/Branch Manager for the Maryland division and, subsequently, held that position with the Dallas/Ft. Worth division. She was promoted to Southern Division Manager in July 1992 and in April 1995 was appointed to direct strategic centralization initiatives for the company as Senior Vice President, Process Re-Engineering. In June 1997, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Production, and in October of that year was appointed to the Pulte Mortgage Board of Directors and was named Corporate Secretary. In 1999, she became Chief Operating Officer and in August 2004 was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Prior to joining Pulte Mortgage, Ms. Still worked in the areas of mortgage production and secondary marketing. She has nearly 30 years’ experience in the mortgage industry.
She serves on the Housing Finance Group of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) High Production Home Builders Council and also serves on the Freddie Mac National Advisory Council. Ms. Still is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Residential/Single-Family Board of Governors (RESBOG), as well as a member of the 2007 MBA Board of Directors. She serves on the 2007 MBA Audit Committee and the 2007 MBA Membership Committee.

She is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science degree and has completed graduate work in Finance at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Why might it be a good time for women to have a career in homebuilding and more specifically at Pulte Homes?
Creating homeownership has been a fulfilling and rewarding career for me personally. Housing demand over the next decade is expected to be even greater than during the past 10 years. Now is a perfect time to focus on developing a career with a large, quality homebuilding company like Pulte. As Pulte continues its growth, today’s talented and consistent performers will be our leaders of the future. Since there is a shortage of women in upper management in our industry, Pulte is an ideal career opportunity for a committed female manager who is willing to work hard, learn the business and develop the right skills and capabilities.

What are one or two leadership characteristics that you possess that have helped you obtain a successful career?
To be a viable and credible leader, it is essential to routinely deliver business results. Taking personal ownership and inspiring others on the team to embrace the importance of delivering what we commit to have been key factors in the development of my career. It is important to me that my boss, my team and my business partners can always count on the fact that I will do what I say I am going to do.

Being a solid decision maker is critical to strong leadership. This is certainly not always easy. I try to be fair and consistent in my decisions, behavior and personal involvement in the business. Objectivity is crucial in making sure I fulfill the responsibilities of my role, with the company’s best interests foremost in my mind. There is no room for a personal agenda when making responsible decisions. You can never fail when your philosophy is to “do the right thing.” 

What tips do you have for women in our industry?
Adopt the attitude that what goes on in the press of business is just that…business. That is, don’t take the challenges you encounter in the business world personally, and always keep your emotions in check. Passion and enthusiasm are fine attributes and necessary to a successful business career. However, try to maintain as balanced a perspective as possible.

Don’t try to be something you aren’t in order to “fit in.” You may think this helps, and in the short term it may. But being genuine and true to what you believe in will make you successful over the long course of a business career. Add value by being who you are and by participating and contributing in your own special way.