EXTON, PA — Citadel Credit Union has reorganized its executive leadership as the Pennsylvania-based financial institution expands into new markets, commercial lending and potential strategic investments, establishing an eight-member management structure to oversee operations that have more than doubled in assets since 2018.
The restructuring follows Citadel’s growth from approximately $3 billion to $7.1 billion in assets over eight years. The member-owned credit union now serves nearly 300,000 members through 25 branches and has expanded its membership eligibility across Pennsylvania and six neighboring states.
The changes consolidate oversight of banking, lending, growth, operations, risk, finance, wealth management, technology and workforce management under eight senior executives. Citadel characterized the realignment as a means of strengthening accountability and coordinating decisions across its expanding business.
The reorganization comes as Citadel increases its presence in Philadelphia. The credit union opened its first city branch in Overbrook Park in 2026 and plans to add locations in Cedar Park and Hunting Park in 2027.
Citadel is also renovating existing branches while expanding its commercial lending operations. The institution entered Small Business Administration lending and completed a $50 million commercial real estate loan for 2000 Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, the largest commercial loan in its history.
The transaction marks a significant expansion of Citadel’s commercial financing capabilities, positioning the credit union to participate in larger and more complex lending arrangements alongside its traditional consumer banking operations.
“Citadel has more than doubled in size, and our leadership model has to reflect the institution we’ve become and the one we are building,” stated Bill Brown, Citadel’s president and chief executive officer.
The restructuring assigns Michael Desimone, chief banking and lending officer, responsibility for retail banking, commercial banking, consumer and small-business lending, insurance, real estate and branch expansion. His division also oversees commercial underwriting and the institution’s broader lending platform.
Courtney Rowan, chief growth officer, will direct digital strategy, product development, marketing and member acquisition and retention. The consolidated division connects product planning with efforts to expand Citadel’s customer base and increase existing member relationships.
Don Scala, chief operations officer, will oversee business transformation, member services, facilities and operational controls supporting banking, payments and lending. His responsibilities also include property strategy, linking branch development and renovations with day-to-day operations.
Risk management has been consolidated under Chief Risk Officer Chris Palumbo, whose responsibilities include cybersecurity, fraud prevention, compliance, collections, enterprise risk and technology-related oversight.
Dean Sanders, Citadel’s chief information security officer, now reports to Palumbo while continuing to lead information security. The reporting change places cybersecurity within the institution’s broader enterprise risk structure.
Chief Financial Officer Anand Solanki retains oversight of financial planning, treasury, accounting, strategy and analytics while assuming responsibility for Citadel’s credit union service organization strategy and strategic business ventures.
That initiative could extend Citadel’s activities beyond traditional banking. The credit union plans to evaluate opportunities to establish, acquire, partner with or invest in businesses that provide additional services and generate revenue, potentially including services offered to other credit unions.
Solanki joined Citadel in 2018, when the institution held approximately $3 billion in assets, and has participated in its financial management throughout the subsequent expansion.
Sheri Perkins, chief wealth officer, will oversee wealth management operations, including retirement planning services, financial advisor development, technology investments and efforts to attract clients through referrals and partnerships.
Eric Skinner, chief information officer, will lead technology operations, infrastructure and enterprise project management. His responsibilities encompass software engineering, data architecture, artificial intelligence, automation and technology modernization.
Bonnie Levitt, chief people and culture officer, will oversee human resources, employee development, enterprise communications, philanthropy, community engagement and organizational change management.
The organizational changes also establish a management framework for potential acquisitions, partnerships and other strategic combinations as Citadel evaluates opportunities to extend its regional presence and financial services.
Brown emphasized that expansion decisions would depend on the institution’s ability to integrate new operations and maintain existing relationships.
“Whether we are opening a branch, investing in a new capability, forming a partnership, or evaluating a strategic combination, the standard is not simply whether we can grow,” Brown stated. “It is whether we can integrate well, preserve what communities value, and invest for long-term success.”
The restructuring places Citadel’s branch expansion, commercial lending growth and potential investments under a more centralized executive framework as the credit union pursues additional business across its expanded membership territory.
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