Veteran credit union technologist and operations chief RudyPereira has been named the new CEO of the $1.2 billion Royal CreditUnion in Eau Claire, Wis.

Pereira, senior vice president of operations and technology atthe $7.9 billion Alliant Credit Union in Chicago, is succeedingCharlie Grossklaus, who announced earlier this year that he wouldbe retiring on Jan. 2, 2012, after 40 years with Royal CU.

“The board looks forward to working with Rudy to ensure thatRoyal Credit Union continues its position as a leader in theindustry” said Doug Olson, the 135,000-member Royal CU's boardchairman. “We feel his expertise will be well utilized and willtake RCU to the next level of member service as well as contributeto continually providing superior accessibility through alternativedelivery methods.”

Pereira has more than 25 years of credit union experience. Priorto joining Alliant in 2005, he was a senior manager in Californiaat Kinecta FCU, Schools Financial CU and Wescom CU, where he alsowas a programming manager.

At Alliant, he led a reorganization that positioned theOperations and Technology division as a vendor to all front-officeoperations and worked to improve overall functions using Six Sigma,Royal said in a statement.

Pereira also is well known in the industry, currently serving aschairman of the CUNA Council Forum and the CUNA/BITS Advisory TaskForce. He also is immediate past chair of the CUNA TechnologyCouncil.

Royal CU serves 18 counties in Wisconsin and 11 in Minnesota andhas been active in launching new services and acquiring newbusiness.

Most recently the CU bought the servicing rights for $600million in mortgages from a failed Minnesota bank. In June 2010, the credit union bought 11 branches and $177 millionin loans, deposits and equipment from the ailing AnchorBank ofMadison, Wis.