MOVES-Wells Fargo names new head of mortgage

By Imani Moise

July 9 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co said on Thursday it has hired Flagstar Bank's Kristy Fercho to run its mortgage division following the retirement of 23-year veteran Michael DeVito from the company.

Fercho will oversee home lending operations of the largest mortgage lender in the United States during a time of uncertainty in the industry. She had run Flagstar's mortgage business for the past three years.

Wells Fargo has pared back some mortgage offerings and raised requirements for certain kinds of loans during the coronavirus-fueled economic downturn. As of last month, the bank had received forbearance requests for roughly 13% of its mortgage balances, it has said.

Since taking over as chief executive late last year, Charles Scharf has shaken up leadership at the bank and installed a slew of former colleagues in top positions. In the wake of racial tensions across the United States, Scharf has also pledged to diversify the bank's leadership team.

"She has been an inspiring and vocal leader across the mortgage industry while driving transformational growth at Flagstar,” said Mike Weinbach, new CEO of Consumer Lending at Wells Fargo, referring to Fercho, who is Black.

DeVito, who ran the mortgage division for two years, will retire later this summer.

(Reporting by Imani Moise in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis)