BECU Appoints Raquel Karls as Chief People Officer

Washington-based credit union welcomes experienced human resources leader to executive team

BECU, the country’s fourth-largest credit union, today announced it has welcomed Raquel Karls as executive vice president and chief people officer. In her new role, Karls is responsible for leading teams focused on talent, human resources and equity and inclusion. Karls will also develop and implement people and diversity, equity and inclusion strategies that ensure employees continue to be the company’s most strategic asset.

“Raquel’s impressive background and deep understanding of the cooperative model makes her the ideal leader to join our executive team,” said Beverly Anderson, BECU’s president and chief executive officer. “At BECU, we are dedicated to empowering our employees to deliver their best in support of our members’ financial well-being. Raquel brings extensive experience to help us fulfill this commitment and lead our employee-focused efforts to further our purpose, vision, and strategy.”

Karls joins BECU with nearly 30 years of global HR experience, including senior roles at Outerwall, Expedia, Pepsi Bottling Company, and Starbucks. Most recently, she served as chief people officer for REI, where she led a team of over 90 people to support thousands of employees nationwide during a period of rapid growth and digital transformation. She was also responsible for all facets of people and culture across the organization, including talent acquisition, compensation, employee events and people operations.

In her spare time, Karls enjoys giving back to her local community. She currently serves as co-founder and board member for Summit Community Center for neurodiverse adults and as a program committee member for the International Women’s Forum of Washington. Raquel earned a master’s degree from the University of Oregon.