2021 Department of Accountancy Outstanding Alumni Award

Christopher Abate, B.B.A.’01

Chief Executive Officer, Redwood Trust

 

Christopher Abate serves as chief executive officer and member of the board of directors for Redwood Trust, a California-based financial company focused on making quality housing accessible to all American households. Abate joined Redwood’s team in 2006, serving in multiple positions, including president, chief financial officer and controller.

Prior to joining Redwood, Abate was employed by PricewaterhouseCoopers. He studied finance and accounting at Western Michigan University, and holds MBAs from the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.

Abate currently serves as chairman of the board of the structured finance association, a Washington, D.C.-based industry trade group. While at WMU, he served as president of the Financial Management Association and represented the University as a member of the Sunseeker Solar Car Team, driving the car across the nation in the biennial Sunrayce in 1999.