Willie Thomas, who has been in the financial industry for over 20 years, will lead a team of 160 financial advisors in the Bay area.

Thomas joins from MetLife, where he served as market leader for greater Pittsburgh. Prior to this he spent six years at Wells Fargo Advisors, overseeing the firm’s New York office with $7 billion in assets under management.

He returns to Merrill Lynch after starting his career there in 1995, where he joined a fast-track program training him in account services, marketing research, loyalty marketing and technology.