USAA has announced the appointment of three senior leaders – Brandon Carter, president of USAA Life Insurance Company; Gilbert Gitiche, executive vice president and chief audit executive; and Ameesh Vakharia, executive vice president and chief strategy and brand officer – to the USAA executive council, reporting to USAA President and CEO Wane Peacock.
“As mission-focused leaders, Brandon, Gilbert and Ameesh have made their mark in leading their organizations and teams, fueled by a deep commitment to take great care of our members and teammates,” Peacock said. “They are helping us to lead the way in preparing our association to ensure that we are at our best now and in the future.”
Carter (pictured above) has been president of USAA Life Insurance Company since 2014. In that role, he has been instrumental in leading the digital transformation of the company’s life and health business. Carter joined USAA in 1997 and has held several leadership positions during his tenure, including general manager of the company’s Phoenix campus and executive leadership roles in wealth management, building the wealth contact center, member experience sales, and marketing campaign management.
Gitiche (pictured below) joined the company in 2020, and has helped USAA build and sustain its audit function. Prior to joining USAA, he served as the chief audit executive for Freddie Mac. Gitiche has more than 20 years of experience with large financial institutions, including Bank of America, GE Capital, and American Express.
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Vakharia (pictured below) joined USAA in June. He has 20 years of experience in financial services, most recently at Truist Bank, where he held strategy, deposits and omnichannel leadership roles. Before Truist, Vakharia was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on strategy, distribution, mergers, and operations for the retail banking and property-casualty units.
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“These appointments reflect the leadership each has brought to their respective teams and horizontally across our organization,” Peacock said. “Moving forward, each will have a critical role in ensuring we can deliver competitive products and services to military families.”
