Kathy Chicas is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union in Torrance, CA. Her experience entails over 20+ years of dynamic leadership and execution in the areas of operations – back office and retail, sales and customer service. Prior to joining the Farmers family, Kathy was responsible for the business operations at ING DIRECT/Capital One – the pioneers in online digital banking.
As an innovative strategic leader and agent of change, she has built teams from the ground-up, fiscally managed them to support growth, and implemented human-centered design aspects to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Her expertise is in driving a transformative culture through innovation, employee engagement, and functional optimization. Kathy is an active and participative sponsor of the Credit Union’s Young Professionals Group, Employee Relations Committee, and DEIB Council. She was a frequent speaker and Innovation Judge for the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, presenting on topics such as Digital Transformation and Operational Excellence. She is also an active member of Mabuhay Credit Union’s Advisory Council and Filene Research Institute’s Lab Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Loyola Marymount University in Southern California. Kathy is futurist and optimist with a serious side of candid flair!