Top Producing Wholesale Lending Operation Joins WestAmerica Mortgage Company

WestAmerica Mortgage Company, a subsidiary of Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: WTFC) has announced that industry veterans and top producing wholesale team of Matt Allison and Raymond Munnings, along with their Account Executives and support staff have joined the company.

John Morelli, Director of Corporate Development commented on WestAmerica's recent addition: "Matt Allison and his team are some of the most successful and capable sales and operations talent in the wholesale mortgage origination business. WestAmerica is fortunate to be able to welcome these skilled professionals onto our team. Matt's group will enable our company to significantly increase our wholesale originations and supplement our existing wholesale production platform with additional high credit quality loan production. This will allow us to spread our core costs over a greater loan volume." Mr. Morelli concluded, "I would also like to thank David Hrobon, SVP of Production and Sherri Smith, SVP of Wholesale for their substantial roles in bringing this great team to WestAmerica".

About WestAmerica Mortgage Company

WestAmerica has been in the mortgage banking business since 1978, and merged with Lake Forest, IL based Wintrust Financial Corporation in 2004. WestAmerica Mortgage Company has been recognized as one of the largest privately held mortgage lenders in the nation and, according to Crain’s Chicago Business, WAMC was the largest residential mortgage lender in the Chicago area based on 2002 total residential real estate loan volume.

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