Needham, MA – January 9, 2024 – Direct Federal Credit Union(www.direct.com) is proud to announce the promotion of Andrew Gabriel to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

 Andrew joined Direct Federal in March 2020 and was a key contributor to the credit union’s core conversion project that year. His dedication and commitment to excellence quickly caught the attention of Direct Federal leadership, and in 2021, he earned the prestigious Leadership Award.

In 2022, Andrew joined the credit union’s Senior Leadership Team and began overseeing Business Applications, Digital Experience, and Project Management. Since then, he has demonstrated a profound understanding of how internal operations impact members and member-facing departments, proactively implementing systems to minimize any disruptions.

 In 2023, Andrew assumed leadership of Strategic Deployment and took the lead on key aspects of the Strategic Planning process in collaboration with the broader Senior Leadership Team. His meticulous project management approach has ensured the timely implementation and measurement of all critical strategic projects.

 In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for leading the IT, Business Applications, Project Management, and Deposit Servicing departments. His primary focus will be on enhancing operational efficiency and fostering collaboration between these departments and across the entire organization. He will continue to oversee the credit union's steadfast adoption of Lean methodology, driving efficiency and excellence throughout the organization.

 Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics& Computer Programming. He began his career in lending at a credit union in California, and his unique perspective has always prioritized cross-functional processes that are accurate, efficient, and collaborative. Having recently celebrated 20 years in the credit union industry, Andrew looks forward to along and prosperous tenure with Direct.

 Joe Walsh, President and CEO at Direct Federal said: "Andrew's promotion to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer is not just a recognition of his exceptional talent, but also a testament to his unwavering commitment to continuous improvement and root cause analysis. His relentless pursuit of excellence has been a driving force behind our credit union's success, and we do not doubt that he will continue to lead us to even greater heights in this new role."