USAA appoints new chief strategy officer

USAA announced that Ameesh Vakharia has joined the company as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, reporting to USAA Chief Executive Officer Wayne Peacock. Vakharia is charged with helping strengthen the association’s strategic capabilities and positioning it for a strong second century of serving the financial needs of the military and their families.

Vakharia joins USAA after a 10-year tenure with Truist Bank where he held strategy, product management and omnichannel leadership roles and served on the bank’s operating council. Most recently, he served as executive vice president of retail strategy, products and omnichannel experiences where he oversaw retail strategy and transformation, retail platforms and client engagement, contact centers, enterprise complaints, retail analytics, small business, and personal deposits product management.

Prior to Truist, Vakharia was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company where he was a leader in the North American Financial Service Practice advising senior executives on key issues within strategy, sales/distribution, operation and corporate finance. In addition, Vakharia has served as a board member of the Bank Administration Institute since 2017.

“We are excited to welcome a leader of Ameesh’s caliber to USAA. His deep experience in financial services will help us as we advance our mission to serve military families well into our second century. His leadership acumen and focus on service to members and employees further enhance our commitment to USAA’s strong culture.” – Peacock.

Vakharia has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in international accounting and finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“USAA occupies a special place in the financial services industry. Our unwavering focus on doing what’s right for the member and their financial security has and will continue to set us apart. Working alongside this team to chart our way forward is an exhilarating opportunity that I’m excited to take on.” – Vakharia.

Vakharia will be based at USAA’s new Charlotte, North Carolina offices. Opening later in 2021, the company anticipates having approximately 750 employees working there in the coming years.