Navy Federal Credit Union yesterday announced that Dietrich Kuhlmann will become its next president and chief executive officer on March 1, 2024. He will replace outgoing CEO Mary McDuffie, who announced her retirement in September of last year. Kuhlmann joined Navy Federal in 2019 after retiring from the United States Navy as a rear admiral and has spent the past two years as the credit union’s chief operating officer.
“Following the announcement of Mary McDuffie’s retirement last September, the Board undertook a months-long, rigorous process to identify the best leader for our credit union,” said Ed Cochrane, chairman of the Board of Directors at Navy Federal, which oversaw its CEO selection process. “Dietrich has shown an unwavering commitment to both his country and to his fellow men and women in uniform throughout his extensive career. These experiences make him the ideal person to lead this institution, and we know he will continue to serve our members superbly in the years ahead.”
As Navy Federal’s chief operating officer, Kuhlmann has overseen operations across the credit union’s Pensacola, Fla., Winchester, Va., and San Diego, Calif. campuses. In that role, he championed policies promoting Navy Federal’s corporate vision, culture and employee engagement to deliver the highest standards of service to its members worldwide.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Dietrich in numerous capacities since he came on board at Navy Federal,” said McDuffie, who has served the credit union for 24 years and became its CEO in 2018. “A leader of integrity with a powerful sense of duty and purpose, Dietrich also genuinely understands what our members need. I can think of no better individual to steer us into the next phase of growth and further our mission to serve Navy Federal Credit Union’s members and their families.”
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1983, Kuhlmann also holds a Master of Science in engineering management from Catholic University. During his 35 years at the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense, Kuhlmann was a career submariner with a sub-specialty in financial management.
“I’m tremendously grateful to be trusted with the responsibility to lead Navy Federal Credit Union,” said Kuhlmann. “This is an incredible opportunity to continue my career of service to our military community and I’m eager to build upon the progress Mary has championed on behalf of our members as CEO.”
In active-duty service, Kuhlmann completed three successful operational command tours and multiple finance assignments at the Pentagon. In his final role before military retirement, as programming division director on staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, Kuhlmann was responsible for the U.S. Navy’s $800 billion, 5-year capital allocation process.
“We congratulate Mary on her retirement and thank her for her decades of service to this credit union,” continued Cochrane, who was elected board chairman in May 2023. “She truly embodied our values of putting members first, and she will be greatly missed at Navy Federal.”
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