The CUInsight Network

“As a national trade association, our role is to be on the frontline defending our credit unions so they can make members’ lives easier.” - Jason Stverak

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Lauren Culp, President & CEO of CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Jason Stverak, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC). Jason shares his career journey in politics that led him to his current role. DCUC is the premier resource for credit unions on all military and veteran matters. The team at DCUC provides trusted resources for active duty and veteran members while working on strategic and operational issues, and addressing regulatory and legislative matters.

During our conversation, Jason shares his vision for reimagining the advocacy footprint. He discusses the upcoming launch of Defending Credit Unions PAC and National Advocacy Fund, aiming to optimize grassroots efforts on key advocacy initiatives while maintaining a strong influence. The team at DCUC advocates for members throughout their financial lifecycle, ensuring their needs are met. Listen as we discuss the vital role of DCUC as they provide an expert voice on issues affecting credit unions and their members, bringing the military perspective to national and state issues.

As we wrap up the episode, Jason shares some book recommendations, the city he enjoys traveling to, to experience different cuisines, and lifehacks for work-life balance.

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Jason:
Jason Stverak, Chief Advocacy Officer at Defense Credit Union Council
dcuc.orgJason: LinkedInDCUC: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

“We create a great member experience while achieving compliance goals.” -Tony Repanich

Thank you for tuning in to episode 33 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Lauren Culp, Publisher & CEO of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest today is Tony Repanich, President and COO at Shield Compliance. Shield Compliance works to transform how credit unions manage risk, comply with regulation, and satisfy growing operational demands associated with serving the legal cannabis market. Shield’s core platform technologies automate the compliance process and give credit unions the structure they need to monitor, measure, and control operations. Their Shield Assure, Shield Engage, and Shield Transact products ensure efficiency and reliability so credit unions can remain compliant while taking risks in a new line of business.

Tony has been in the financial services industry for over two decades. In this episode, he talks about how Shield Compliance can unlock new business opportunities and add value to credit unions. He discusses the economic advantages of cannabis banking and how they can provide the technology needed to mitigate and manage risk. Tony addresses the concerns facing the cannabis banking industry, including regulatory requirements, risk assessments, and personal viewpoints.

Tune in to hear Tony discuss ways to satisfy the regulatory and risk side while supporting access to banking for legal enterprises. Tony also shares ways credit unions in areas with legalized cannabis industries can help make their communities safer by providing access to banking for these cash-heavy businesses. During our conversation, you’ll also hear Tony dive into the cannabis banking playbook that he created to help credit unions understand the logistics of this new environment and frame out what they can expect.

As we wrap up the episode, Tony talks about the magic of Starbucks, his go-to podcast, and his favorite Peloton instructor. Enjoy my conversation with Tony Repanich!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Tony:
Tony Repanich, President and COO at Shield Compliance
[email protected]
www.shieldbanking.com
LinkedIn | Facebook

“A great member experience is going to be holistic and involve everyone.” - Taylor Wells

Thank you for tuning in to episode 32 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Lauren Culp, Publisher & CEO of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest today is Taylor Wells, Experience Director at On the Mark Strategies. The core mission at On the Mark Strategies is to guide credit unions in their strategic planning, branding, and building their member experience so they can succeed. The team has many years of credit union experience and truly believes in helping credit unions thrive in a competitive environment. On The Mark Strategies differentiates itself through its core values, the three E’s: Engage, Educate, Entertain.

In this episode, Taylor discusses the significance of the member experience and how On The Mark Strategies can help credit unions create a customized, authentic, and consistent experience for both employees and members. Taylor shares the ways his team works with credit unions to understand and improve their member experience across multiple channels. He explains that the team starts with data collection and demographic work to understand the current state of the member experience and hosts multi-day workshops for the credit union team to recreate their ideal member experience.

During our conversation, Taylor speaks to the disconnect between front and back-office employees and ways to generate buy-in from all levels of the organization. He also shares the effects hiring, growth, and retention can have on the member experience. Taylor recommends credit unions also look outside of the industry to bring in new talent, while not overlooking ways they can promote from within. To maximize ROI and brand impact, Taylor advises credit unions to align their community involvement and charitable donations with their brand values and target audiences. As we wrap up the conversation, Taylor calls out the importance of actionable strategic plans, organizational health, effective marketing, and more.

Tune in to hear Taylor talk about his growing hat collection, his favorite Michael Jordan quote, and the book he recommends everyone read. Enjoy my conversation with Taylor Wells!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Taylor:
Taylor Wells, Experience Director at On the Mark Strategies
[email protected]
https://www.markarnold.com
LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Thank you for tuning in to episode 8 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Randy Smith, Co-founder of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest today is Robert Johnston, CEO of Adlumin, Inc. Robert shares his journey from the military to the credit union industry and how he rediscovered purpose through this transition. He also shares cybersecurity best practices for credit union leaders and how to implement them during periods of rapid change.

Throughout the show Robert shares the data science behind Adlumin’s cybersecurity integration and how his team has been able to improve compliance for credit union CORE systems. He believes it is imperative for credit unions to increase security in order to stay relevant and mitigate major system threats. With the increase in technological breaches and hacking on the rise, Robert and his team have been working on compliance reporting that is easily accessible, seamless, and secure.

We also chat about new regulations with the incoming administration and what that looks like for Adlumin in their daily operations. Robert feels that the next wave of innovation is cloud-based data and its ability to increase the security of member information while allowing credit unions to maximize data retention.

As we wrap up the show, we learn that Robert and his team use just about every video conferencing platform available and are always looking for the next best. We were excited to learn what he does in his free time away from the office, what he is currently reading, and who he thinks about when he hears the word “success.” Enjoy my conversation with Robert Johnston!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Robert Johnston:
Robert Johnston, CEO of Adlumin, Inc.
[email protected]
www.adlumin.com
LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Thank you for tuning in to episode 1 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today's show is Bill Gould, the Senior Vice President at Securian Financial Group. He oversees sales, business development, financial management, strategic planning, marketing, compliance, and operations. And if that's not enough, he's also responsible for the financial institution insurance business in Canada.

Listen in as Bill discusses his journey to the credit union industry and how his current position has been a bit of a ‘full circle’ experience. Bill talks about the ability to attract and retain members through examining insights and trends while having a variety of lending options.

Bill shares how Securian’s most recent research helps credit unions assist their members with lending protection to prevent delinquencies, especially during the pandemic. He sheds light on the importance of industry leaders accepting change and being able to quickly adapt to it. Bill explains that what sets credit unions apart is the willingness to collaborate and share tips and strategies with each other to best serve members.

In the rapid-fire questions, we find out that Bill recently purchased a puppy for his family and realized it was something he didn’t know he needed. When Bill thinks of success, his father comes to mind as a leader and entrepreneur along with Warren Buffet for his generosity. After work, Bill loves running and getting outdoors to decompress. Enjoy my conversation with Bill!
Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com

How to find Bill:
Bill Gould, Senior Vice President at Securian Financial Group
[email protected]
www.securian.com
Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube