Dietrich Kuhlmann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Navy Federal Credit Union

Dietrich Kuhlmann is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Navy Federal Credit Union. In the role, Dietrich leads the organization’s senior executive team as it serves the credit union’s 14 million members from all branches of the military, Veterans, DoD employees and their families.

Prior to becoming the CEO, Dietrich served as Chief Operating Officer for Navy Federal. In this role, he managed operations for the entire credit union, including Headquarters in Vienna, VA, Winchester, VA, Pensacola, FL and San Diego, CA campuses. He also established policies promoting the corporate vision and culture and employee engagement. His leadership ensured every aspect of the business focused on delivering the highest standards of service to our members worldwide. He also previously served as Chief Real Estate Lending Officer, responsible for devising the strategies that position Navy Federal as a superior mortgage lender, and one of the largest VA loan providers in the industry. Additionally, Dietrich held the title of Executive Vice President of Branch Operations, upholding exceptional member service through Navy Federal’s global network of branches and ATMs. His Branch Operations team, comprising of over 4,400 personnel across 11 countries, focused on providing a personalized experience and ensuring the financial health of members.

Before coming to Navy Federal, Dietrich held the title of Director, Programming Division, Chief of Naval Operations Staff, responsible for the U.S. Navy’s $800 billion, 5-year capital-allocation process. Dietrich also served for 2 years as a volunteer official on the Navy Federal Board of Directors.

Dietrich is a proud Veteran who served 35 years on Active Duty following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. A career Submariner with a specialty in financial management, he retired in 2018 as a Rear Admiral. Honored to have 3 tours in Command, his notable military career included multiple operational and shore tours, where he built diverse, high-performing teams across a variety of operational, organizational and functional activities. He is a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal and other individual and unit decorations.