Celia Edwards Karam

President of Retail Bank at Capital One

Celia Edwards Karam is President of Retail Bank and Executive Committee member of Capital One. She is passionate about building customer experiences that drive business growth, inspire customer loyalty, and empower the financial well-being of customers. Her team is responsible for the overall strategy, growth, operations, and profitability of the Retail Bank.

Celia is recognized for her visionary leadership, passion for innovation and open communication. She is an adept problem-solver with great judgment who has established a reputation for operational excellence and the ability to strategically transform organizations at scale.

Prior to joining Retail Bank, Celia was the Card Chief Operating Officer leading a body of organizations focused on building world-class products, services, and capabilities. She also spent three years as Capital One’s Chief Audit Officer responsible for leading the company’s internal audit function for the Board of Directors and CEO. Prior to leading Audit, Celia held executive roles in Capital One’s Small Business Bank, Consumer Bank and Card lines of business. As Head of Small Business Banking, she led the organization through a strategic transformation reimagining the digital experience and enabling a steep increase in profitability.

Being an advocate for diversity, inclusion, & belonging, Celia is the Executive Sponsor for Capital One’s Black business resource group. She also serves as a board member of Commonwealth, a non-profit that builds solutions for financially vulnerable people, and Zola, a one-stop-site for wedding planning.

Several publications have recognized Celia for her work. The Washington Business Journal named her in a list of “Women Who Mean Business.” She has been featured in Working Mother Magazine and in 2020, The Network Journal named her one of “25 Influential Black Women in Business.”