MFA MFA Financial Inc

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020  /PRNewswire/ -- MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA) announced today that it is one of 325 companies across 50 industries included in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which recognizes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing gender equality.

"We are proud that MFA's commitment to equality and advancing women in the workplace has been recognized by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index," stated Craig L. Knutson, Chief Executive Officer and President of MFA Financial. "Gender equality is a key part of our commitment to create a culture that is diverse and inclusive, so that we can continue to attract the best possible talent, act as a responsible employer and deliver value to our shareholders. We are pleased to be named alongside other trailblazing businesses that share similar values as MFA Financial."

The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand. This year, Bloomberg expanded the eligibility for inclusion in the index to nearly 6,000 companies across 84 countries and regions. The 2019 GEI included 230 companies headquartered across 36 countries and regions.

"The 325 companies included in the 2020 GEI have shown their commitment to transparency and demonstrated leadership in gender-related data reporting," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg. "Disclosure of company statistics and practices is an important first step in supporting gender equality globally."

Through disclosure of gender-related metrics using the GEI framework, the firms included in the 2020 GEI have provided a comprehensive look at their investment in workplace gender equality and the communities in which they operate. MFA Financial was included in this year's index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework's five pillars.

MFA Financial has made significant efforts towards enhancing diversity and equality across the organization. In 2016, the company started W@M (Women at MFA), which since inception has hosted or sponsored nearly 25 events focused on helping women advance in the workplace and network among their peers.  In 2019, MFA partnered with Empowership and launched an additional initiative to support and develop its high potential women.  In 2018 and 2019, MFA Financial was recognized as a "Winning Company" by 2020 Women on Boards, and with the January 1, 2020 addition of Lisa Polsky to the Board of Directors, MFA's Board is comprised of eight directors, seven of whom are independent and three of whom are women.

MFA Financial, Inc. is a real estate investment trust primarily engaged in the business of investing, on a leveraged basis, in residential mortgage assets, including residential mortgage-backed securities and residential whole loans.

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SOURCE MFA Financial, Inc.