Citi Hires Dale Baker As Head Of Residential Mortgage

Citi has hired Dale Baker as its head of U.S. mortgage and retail lending. Baker confirmed the news in a social media post on Wednesday evening.

Baker succeeds Chris McCullough, Citi’s president and head of mortgage and small-business lending, who is retiring, a source familiar with the matter told HousingWire.

“I look forward to helping Citi continue to strengthen its market position and build on the strong momentum established under the leadership of Chris McCullough,” Baker wrote in his post. “Chris has built a terrific platform and team, and I want to congratulate him on his remarkable career and thank him for his willingness to support a smooth transition.”

Baker also expressed gratitude to Kate Luft, Citi’s head of U.S. retail banking and Citigold.

“Citi has an exceptional mortgage franchise, and I look forward to working alongside talented colleagues across the business as we continue serving clients and growing the platform,” he wrote.

In an email to HousingWire on Thursday morning, a Citi spokesperson confirmed the hire and said that Baker’s start date is March 30.

“Dale’s leadership will help further strengthen our market position and maintain the strong momentum and trajectory established by our team,” Luft said in an internal memo to employees, which the spokesperson shared with HousingWire.

Baker comes to Citi after a nearly nine-year tenure at KeyBank, most recently serving as the company’s head of consumer lending and mortgage. He posted about stepping away from KeyBank by writing, “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many great people and to lead such a talented team. What we built over the last nine years is special. I’m proud of the results, but even more proud of the culture.”

Before KeyBank, Baker held roles at JPMorgan Chase, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“This is my 26th year in the mortgage industry,” Baker told HousingWire. “I started as a loan officer many years ago and worked my way up through the business. At Citi, I’ll be focused on growing originations, improving productivity and continuing to digitize the platform, all while ensuring we deliver an outstanding client experience.”

This article was updated with quotes from Dale Baker.