FIsionaries

On this episode of the FIsionaries podcast, I’m joined by Luis Cruz, Chief Information Officer at Educational Federal Credit Union. Luis provides a captivating exploration of EdFed's approach to digital transformation, including a focus on data, analytics and innovation for serving their members, communities and employees.

EdFed has achieved historical growth by deploying modern technology without sacrificing a legacy of serving the educational community. Their unique outreach program aimed at fostering financial literacy among youth and the community as a whole is a case study for success.

We will also unveil how EdFed Credit Union is successfully navigating an increasingly volatile banking ecosystem with the help of employees who understand and support the credit union’s mission.

We’re honored to have Greg Barnes, Chief Operations Officer, and Abigail Riesner, Manager of Digital Solutions at the Air Force FCU on the show. They offer an insider’s perspective on their credit union’s ambitious digital transformation that has resulted in decisions like discontinuing CO-OP shared branching, elevating member’s digital experiences, overcoming internal and external challenges, and integrating emerging technologies.

With an eye towards constant evolution through collaborative solutions, Air Force FCU aims to continuously expand their technology ecosystem to empower member financial success. For any organization looking to champion digital advancement, this episode provided inspiration and guidance direct from the source.

I am excited to be joined by Smart Financial Credit Union's CIO, Marcus Manning, on the FIsionaries podcast. Marcus was just named Futurist CIO by Houston CIO Community for his foresight into how to leverage AI as a way financial services are both delivered and perceived by consumers.

Just as importantly, Marcus works tirelessly to build a culture at Smart Financial that will make the credit union more future-ready. His belief is that people, process, and technology are the three pillars to success.

In this episode, we will discuss how these pillars support more than just better banking, but also offering a richer user experience, bolstered security, an improved employee experience and a path to growth.

I'm excited to welcome Tim Ferrio, CTO of Team One Credit Union, to the FIsionaries podcast. With just under $750 million in assets, Team One faces an uphill battle competing against major banks with billions in their war chests to finance modern technologies and innovation.

In this episode, we explore the unique opportunities and challenges smaller credit unions face in keeping pace with digital innovation and delivering great member experiences. We also uncover creative strategies that can help modest institutions like Team One punch above their weight class and take on the banking behemoths using composible solutions.

While modest is size, Nymeo FCU continues to be recognized regionally and nationwide as a “Best Credit Union to Work For” and “Best of the Best Credit Unions” within their marketplace in Maryland.

According to the credit union, much of its success can be attributed to its commitment to its staff and their continued commitment to provide members with a superior experience across all delivery channels.

In our FIsionaries Podcast conversation with senior executives from Nymeo, we shed light on the mosaic of decisions, innovations, and leadership moments that have led Nymeo to continue to be a leader in the marketplace.

Veridian Credit Union has cemented its reputation as an innovator by being one of the first to adopt the new FedNow real-time payment rail. Joining us today on the FIsionaries podcast are Colin Eagan, Real-Time Payment Administrator, and Amy Faley, Manager of ACH at Veridian, to discuss their journey to fast payments.

We’ll explore Veridian’s motivations, implementation, and lessons learned launching FedNow to stay ahead of the digital transformation curve.

In today's episode of the FIsionaries Podcast, we have the privilege of sitting down with Mark Hufnagel, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Corning Credit Union.

Join us as we delve into the remarkable journey that has led Corning Credit Union to achieve recognition as one of the best credit unions in New York state. Discover the strategies, values, and innovations that set this institution apart and continue to shape its future success.

Also, get a taste of Corning's approach to using technology to better serve members and stand out in a competitive landscape.

Digital banking transformation is most successful when it combines internal and external execution. This includes a focus on digital banking transformation, innovation, and strategic investments.

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union has grown consistently over the past 5 years, reaching $7.5 billion in assets. They have done this with strong leadership and a continued investments in modern fintech solutions through a wholly owned credit union service organization, Reseda.

My guest on the FIsionaries podcast is April Clobes, President and CEO of the Reseda Group and MSUFCU. We discuss the strategic advantage of investing in new technologies and fintech solutions that can be deployed internally and sold to other credit unions.

Growing from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion in the past five years, the Biloxi-based Keesler Federal Credit Union has become one of the largest credit unions in the United States. With 39 locations across three states and three in the United Kingdom, the credit union has 280,000 members.

What sets Keesler FCU apart is not just their exceptional growth, but their ability to anticipate industry trends. Their unwavering commitment to innovation, combined with a commitment to members and the community, has earned them national recognition.

My guest on the FIsionaries podcast is Jason MacDonald, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Keesler Federal Credit Union. We discuss many of the ways Keesler Federal Credit Union has achieved growth while not sacrificing personalized service.

Whether a customer wants to do banking in-person or online, the need for multilingual service is more important than ever. Thankfully, with today’s translation technologies and AI-powered multilingual chatbots, language barriers aren’t insurmountable.

Unitus Community Credit Union, headquartered in Oregon, has made a commitment to providing inclusive financial services. This includes supporting a bilingual positioning at every touchpoint. The credit union’s website is already available in dual languages, a bilingual chatbot has just been introduced, and more efforts are underway.

My guest on the FIsionaries podcast is Corlinda Wooden, SVP/Chief Retail Officer at Unitus Community Credit Union. We discuss how committing to embrace underserve communities has resulted in historically high growth and higher customer satisfaction ratings.