Veteran credit union technologist and operations chief Rudy Pereira said he's moving from one good place to another.
After six years of helping the $7.9 billion Alliant Credit Union in Chicago streamline its organization while it doubled in assets, Pereira takes over as CEO of the $1.2 billion Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire, Wis., on Dec. 5.
Pereira, senior vice president of operations and technology at Alliant, is succeeding Charlie Grossklaus, who announced earlier this year that he would be retiring on Jan. 2, 2012, after 40 years with Royal CU.
"I'll have a chance to sit down with Charlie for a transition period and am really looking forward to that," Pereira said. "His reputation as a leader precedes him. He's a visionary and he's leaving a great organization in great shape."
While he's served as an interim CEO twice before, Pereira said, he's looking forward to his first permanent appointment to that post and added that he's also happy to join an organization that's not in turmoil.
"They have great breadth of products and services and know their community very well," he said. "I'd always heard nothing but good things about them, so I went ahead and put in my name as a candidate."
Pereira has more than 25 years of credit union experience. Prior to joining Alliant in 2005, he was a senior manager in California at Kinecta FCU, Schools Financial CU and Wescom CU, where he also was a programming manager.
"I was happy at Kinecta, but then a great opportunity came up at Alliant and I took it. This is a great time for the same thing to happen," Pereira said.
"The board looks forward to working with Rudy to ensure that Royal Credit Union continues its position as a leader in the industry" said Doug Olson, the 135,000-member Royal CU's board chairman.
Along with his new duties, Pereira said he hopes to remain active in industry affairs. He currently is chair of the CUNA Councils Forum and CUNA/BITS Advisory Task Force.
Royal CU serves 18 counties in Wisconsin and 11 in Minnesota and has been active in launching new services and acquiring new business.
Most recently the CU bought the servicing rights for $600 million in mortgages from a failed Minnesota bank. In June 2010, the credit union bought 11 branches and $177 million in loans, deposits and equipment from the ailing AnchorBank of Madison, Wis.
The 51-year-old Pereira is a married father of three adult sons and a native Californian. His wife, Christine, is from Chicago and has adjusted to the weather back home more quickly than he has, he said
She's of Scandinavian descent, "so maybe it's in the genes," he said. "But we're both looking forward to being in Eau Claire."
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