Julie Kirsch to Retire as Meriwest CU CEO
Current COO Lisa Pesta will take on the leadership position.
After 32 years in leadership positions at the San Jose, Calif.-based Meriwest Credit Union, Julie Kirsch is stepping down as president/CEO – a position she’s held since 2013.
Kirsch announced her retirement Friday, as well as introduced the next president/CEO of the $2.2 billion credit union. According to the statement, Meriwest’s current EVP and COO, Lisa Pesta, will take over from Kirsch.
In a prepared statement, Kirsch said, “I feel incredibly honored that my predecessor and our board of directors gave me the encouragement and platform to pursue the many opportunities I felt passionate about. I am beyond confident that Meriwest’s next CEO, Lisa Pesta, will lead Meriwest to even greater accomplishments and continue to enhance our member experience.”
Pesta said, “Under Julie’s leadership, Meriwest’s focus has always been on our members and employees. This has led to numerous awards for Meriwest, including ‘Best Places to Work’ and the ‘Best Credit Union’ in Silicon Valley. We are grateful for her guidance and support and look forward to building on her many achievements.”
Under Kirsch’s leadership, she led Meriwest through several credit union transitions including shifting the credit union from a single sponsor to a community-based credit union. That move also included rebranding efforts and a name change for the credit union.