Embrace Home Loans, a top-rated national mortgage lender has announced that Stephen Adama has joined the company as President of National Retail Production, according to a press release.

Adama will work to increase the company’s retail sales force and expanding its retail footprint.

In 2020, the company had a record $6.4 billion in mortgage loans, a 70% increase from 2019. The company plans to double its retail production in 2021.

Prior to joining Embrace, Adama was an executive vice president head of U.S. mortgage banking home equity, consumer manufacturing and credit underwriting at Santander Bank NA. He also served as president and CEO of Weichert Financial Services and held various leadership positions at RBS Citizens Financial Group.

“Steve brings a wealth of mortgage and banking experience to Embrace,” Dennis Hardiman, Embrace founder and CEO said in the release. “As the key driver of our overall retail strategy, I am confident he will generate numbers this year and beyond.”

“The mortgage industry has changed considerably since the 2008 financial crisis, as independent mortgage banks such as Embrace have taken significant market share from depository banks, particularly in the past five years,” Adama said. “No company does a better job of putting its team, its customers and the community at the forefront of its thoughts and actions than Embrace.”