Banking | Finance 2024: DIETRICH KUHLMANN

Kuhlmann took the helm at the credit union March 1, replacing Mary McDuffie, who was Navy Federal’s first woman CEO. She retired after 25 years with the financial institution, including five as CEO.

After retiring from the U.S. Navy as a rear admiral, Kuhlmann joined Navy Federal in 2019 as head of branch operations. He later worked as chief real estate lending officer before being named chief operating officer in 2022. 

Kuhlmann graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983. Later, he earned a master’s in engineering management from Catholic University of America.

Spending more than three decades working for the Navy and the Department of Defense, Kuhlmann was a career submariner who also worked in financial management. As commander of Submarine Group 9 from 2012 to 2014, he oversaw everything from manning to equipping all Pacific Fleet ballistic and guided missile submarines. 

As programming division director on staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, Kuhlmann was responsible for the Navy’s $800 billion, five-year capital allocation process.

The nation’s largest credit union, Navy Federal reported $178 billion in assets in March and has more than 13.7 million members.