That’s because his old man, Mike Valentine, is the longtime (and soon-to-be retired) CEO at BCU ($6.5B, Vernon Hills, IL). Dave followed in his father’s footsteps and today serves as chief lending and experience officer at Consumers Credit Union ($4.6B, Lake Forest, IL).

In this special Father’s Day Q&A, the duo reflects on their relationship, their careers, lessons they’ve learned from each other, and more.

Dave, what did you think about your dad’s job and the industry as you were growing up? Did you always want to follow in Mike’s footsteps and join the industry?

Dave Valentine: He’s been at BCU longer than I’ve been alive, so it’s always been a part of my life. There was no “work dad” or “home dad,” it all melded together. He’s the same dude at the office that he is at home. Seeing how much he enjoyed what he does, how much he genuinely cares about people, it didn’t seem like a job at times. I thought, maybe I need to do something like that.

I had the opportunity to work part time in the summer from when I was 16 all the way through college, so for the better part of about six years I was working different jobs at BCU. I thought it was pretty neat.

Mike, what advice did you give to Dave as he entered credit union leadership?

Mike Valentine: When he got out of school he went to Wells Fargo. That’s probably the best thing he could have done because he found out what not to do. He learned a lot about financial services, but then he said maybe there’s something to this credit union stuff.

If there’s any advice I gave, it was to give it a shot and talk to some people, so he talked to a couple of different credit unions and business partners.

Whenever we would talk, it was usually about golf and the [Chicago] Cubs and Bears. Now, Dave’s talking about work stuff, and I’ve got to pay attention. It’s kind of made it a different world for us because we have that in common.

Was there a point when you both started to feel like colleagues as well as father and son?

MV: In this big crazy market we’re in, our headquarters are literally two miles from each other, but I see Dave more on the weekends than at work. If there’s a conference we see each other, but Dave usually won’t say “Dad,” he’ll say “Mike.”

As he’s moved into senior leadership positions, we really have become colleagues. I ask him for advice on a number of things, especially my upcoming retirement. He’s in our market and he’s observant, so it’s neat because I feel like he really has my back.

DV: As I said, he’s been doing this longer than I’ve been alive, and there’s a lot of wisdom there that I constantly learn from. I’d say it’s more me receiving than giving, but I think there’s been some more give in the past few years, given how Consumers has grown as an organization and the added responsibilities I’ve been fortunate to get here.

How much do you talk about credit unions when you’re together outside of work? What’s the credit union topic that comes up the most?

DV: We’ll average it out to say about half the time. It’s part of the normal talk track when you’re talking with anyone — how are things going with your job, what’s new, etc. It’s just that he and I can go super deep on the topic. We both want to continuously learn, so if there’s a hot topic or organizational changes, that propels us into deeper conversation.

MV: I agree, it kind of ebbs and flows with what’s happening in the market. Talent kind of moves back and forth [from Consumers to BCU and vice versa], but I’ll get all over my team about what David tells me they’re doing over at  Consumers, and within 15 minutes of the staff meeting he’s getting a text about it because everybody at our place knows him.

Are there areas where you disagree, whether that’s on leadership approaches, how aggressively to embrace AI, or something else?

MV: I’m slower with some of the newer things out there, and you could throw AI into that. Dave has a strong marketing sense to him. It’s interesting listening to him because sometimes I just don’t understand it. A lot of times I don’t disagree; I just don’t get it. But Dave knows about things, so I bug him to tell me what he means by something, and we pitch that back and forth.

DV: I have such a passion for the people who work here and the people who report directly to me, and I know he does as well. I want to be there for him. I want to support him. It’s that kind of leadership from the heart that’s something we definitely both have.

What are some of the toughest professional questions you’ve turned to each other for advice on?

DV: For me, it’s when I’ve been presented with opportunities as we’ve either grown and scaled or just needed to make some changes. Often it’s talking about how I’m observing the situation and thinking about approaching it, either with business strategy or org design. He’s been through a lot of things I haven’t, so that helps me make better decisions.

MV: As I was going through thoughts of retirement and succession planning, David was a fantastic sounding board for me. I almost call it a switch to him mentoring me and seeing people differently than I did. That was probably one of the more helpful things for me as I was marching down that lane for the past couple of years.

Dave, what’s the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned from Mike?

DV: It sounds simple, but be yourself. People can suss out if you’re being inauthentic, so really lead from the heart. Take the work seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. There’s zero difference between the person he is at home and the person he is at work. That made me understand why people enjoy working with him and want to partner with him.

You’ve got to do it your own way, but I think that’s where I saw how I can be effective. You can’t compartmentalize yourself. It’s a much better balance to just generally be the same person at home and at work.

Conversely, Mike, are there leadership lessons you’ve learned from Dave?

MV: I’m at 100,000 feet most of my life at work and rarely can I get down from there, but one of the things I’ve watched with David is his ability to get to 10,000 feet, 5,000 feet, and rise. A lot of people can’t do that. They’re either micromanaging or they’re where I am. At this point in his career, it’s so important that he do that, and one of the things I’ve watched is his ability to connect with people. It’s rare to see somebody under 40 who pays that much attention.

I have a quote that I love: “Listen to understand versus listening to respond.” Dave’s not listening to respond. He’s truly taking in the information and processing it. He may go with your thought or he may not, but you know he’s listening.

For both of you, what’s something you’ve learned from each other recently that changed your thinking?

DV: For me, watching his retirement process has been interesting because there’s really awesome stuff that he’s built over there. The board and the team at BCU have such admiration for him, and he runs the credit union so well. I’ve seen him step back and say, “This is a good time to allow someone to come in and take the reins.” That, to me, is true selflessness to the organization and putting ego aside.

Top that, Mike.

MV: Sometimes I’ll see Dave doing things at Consumers that we haven’t tried, and I’ll wonder why the heck we aren’t doing that. Dave has had some success in the mortgage business with outside LOS, and now we’ve got four or five people we’ve hired doing that. In other words, I’ve heard about it, seen it, and did something about it during the past year because of conversations with Dave.

We can talk about Dave and me, father and son, but the best thing you can have is a support system. You’ve got to be all in in this business, and if you do it right, you’re going to do it well. Every time we get together there’s a credit union topic that comes up. And it’s fun. Maybe it’s a little bit too much, but it’s great.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Do you have your own credit union family history?. We want to hear about it! Email editor@creditunions.com and fill us in, and we might feature your story CreditUnions.com.

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Before joining Firelands Federal Credit Union ($554.6M, Bellevue, OH) as chief financial officer in 2023, Don Rositano built a career at the intersection of banking and membership-driven retail, shaping how he approaches value, pricing, and performance.

Before entering the credit union space, Rositano spent more than a decade with Sam’s Club, where he led finance for a $2.2 billion division. That environment, where members pay for access and expect clear value in return, mirrors the credit union model more than it might seem, he says — and reinforced a core belief he carries into his current role: get value right for members, and the financial results follow.

Personal And Professional Journey

What attracted you to the credit union industry?

Don Rositano: I am fortunate to have been the CFO of two different community-based banks and most recently was the senior finance manager of a $2.2 billion division of Sam’s Club out of Bentonville, AK.

I loved working for Sam’s, but Cleveland is my home. My family and kids are here, and we were ready to be closer to them. When the CFO opportunity at Firelands came up, I felt my banking and membership experience would dovetail nicely. At Sam’s, we understood members pay for the privilege to shop there; that’s our philosophy at the credit union, too.

What has surprised you about working in the credit union space?

DR: One of the biggest surprises is that profitability is not the focus, people are. In my prior position, I had to reforecast our profit and sales projections every week, and we needed to produce solutions if we were suffering a shortfall.

At Firelands, although we need profits to fund growth, serving our members is our priority goal, and we forecast to meet their needs. Our profitability is a by-product of those relationships. In the three years I’ve been here, our cumulative annual growth rate is 10.46% — without mergers or adding branches — and our ROA has jumped from 0.66% to 1.41% year-to-date.

The Credit Union Learning Curve

How would you compare the culture of credit unions to your previous industry?

DR: There are a lot of similarities between Sam’s Club and Firelands. Both companies are driven to provide ultimate value to their members and to curate product offerings to reduce confusion and maximize value. Many companies like to provide products and services that have all these bells and whistles when what most members want is a great product at a great price.

Did you have any misconceptions about credit unions when you joined?

DR: As a former banker, my viewpoint was limited by industry misconceptions. I felt credit unions were behind in innovation and technological sophistication. Credit unions were the institutions you went to for auto lending and Christmas Club accounts.

The longer I’ve been in this position, I realize how wrong I was. Credit unions can master the balance of national competition, service, and evolving technology while still taking care of and seeing the member as an individual instead of a number.

What challenges did you face transitioning into the credit union space?

DR: Credit union jargon. Calling deposits “shares” and interest “dividends” has taken me a while. I’ve also had to change my thinking about profitability and service. I’ve spent a lot of time on nonprofit boards, and I love this serving philosophy in our company.

Leadership And Strategy

How did your prior financial services experience shape your leadership approach at the credit union?

DR: At Walmart, there would always be times when other retailers were cheaper, and we understood that. We wanted to be the consistent price leader, not chase a short-term discount. At Firelands, we’ve been trying to position ourselves so members are better off overall with our products than anywhere else.

For example, in my first year, we increased our primary share rate well above the rest of our competitors. We were able to create some savings in one of our expense categories and instead of dropping those savings to our bottom line, we reinvested them in higher yields on members’ dividends.

What lessons or strategies from your career have proven most valuable in your credit union role?

DR: At Sam’s I learned the importance of viewing pricing specials as an investment versus a cost. The goal is to offer something well-priced and use this as a gateway to have them experience more of the club.

I’ve used that same mindset at the credit union, and we have offered aggressive CD rates for shorter terms of four to seven months. We’ve found we do not lose this money when the CD expires, and the higher rate inspires higher loyalty.

We also never have a special only for new money. That tells existing members they are not as important. We’re in it for the long term. Our mindset has resulted in gaining greater share of our existing members’ wallet.

In addition, we offer a well-priced money market account where our highest yield right now is 3%. Our money market accounts have grown 40% in 2024 and 30% in 2025. Our members want an excellent rate but also want liquidity and freedom to move their money.

As a bonus, I enjoy paying a lower rate versus CDs and appreciate the flexibility to adjust rates based on market ebbs and flows.

What aspects of leading a credit union required a completely new mindset or skillset for you?

DR: Sam’s is a destination club. When I left, it had around 600 clubs throughout the nation. It can afford to invest in the largest markets because members will come. When I worked in a club, we had members who would come from 60 miles away every month to stock up.

However, many credit union members need physical closeness of a local branch. Not that they necessarily use it, but they want the comfort of knowing it is there when they need it.  We are investigating ways to meet those needs while balancing the high costs of an extensive branch network.

Members-First Focus

How did you adapt to the members-first model? Are there parallels to your previous roles?

DR: I came from a member-focused organization. It bothers me when I see financial institutions focus more on profits than customers. For example, we have many banks around us that might offer a nice special CD rate, but they keep their basic rates below 1%. If a customer does not inquire, they will go from a 4% special down to a 0.15% CD rate as it rolls over. I find that unethical and anti-customer.

How have you helped improve member engagement or services?

DR: We are looking forward to making some adjustments to our checking accounts. Members want a payment mechanism at a low cost. We listened to what members are asking for, and we’ll be adding member send capabilities for both RTP and FedNow.

There’s fraud risk with these payment streams, and frankly, we need to be OK with some losses to offer these services. If we don’t, members will move to other financial institutions or fintechs that offer them. In the next few years, it is going to be a requirement as a financial institution to be in business. The writing is on the wall; I don’t want to be left behind.

Advice And Future Outlook

What advice do you have for someone considering an executive role in a credit union, especially if they’re coming from another industry?

DR: Be open to the process and understand it can be tough because we answer to members and not to shareholders. The most critical thing they need to understand is that we need to be member focused.

If you do what’s right for the members, they appreciate it and the business will grow. It’s satisfying hearing other bank employees say how wonderful we are and if they cannot do something, they refer the customer to us.

You also need to be active in the community. I’ve walked in parades; I’ve manned an inflatable slide at a community festival. If you have no desire to be part of the community, then maybe a credit union is not for you. We’ve assumed many leadership positions that community banks used to lead.

How might your prior experience help shape the future of your credit union’s strategy?

DR: I’ve been the main proponent of bringing in a data warehouse. I’ve seen the power of analytics and the ability to drive business through understanding our own membership base. A warehouse lets you see where you should focus your limited resources to help the most members, and that can drive your growth.

Harvard did a study a while back that showed the more options you offer a customer, the more confused they become about what to buy. And sometimes they purchase nothing.

I looked at our product line at Sam’s and noticed we had several products that were not profitable. We reduced our product line by more than 40%, saw a 1% to 2% reduction in sales over the next 12 months, but saw a 25% profit improvement. It also set up the division in the following years to increase sales faster than the rest of the market.

Personal Reflections

What’s been the most fulfilling part of working in the credit union space?

DR: I love our place in the community. Our CEO goes to different county fairs and makes sure each 4H participant gets a fair price for their entry. We’ve spent $75,000 on these fairs, but the smiles on the participants’ faces are priceless. We’re the champions of the underdog and pride ourselves in making sure no one is left behind.

If you could give yourself advice on your first day at a credit union, what would it be?

DR: Don’t get too anxious to perform. Learn the culture of the credit union and look for ways where you can enhance it. Enjoy the ride. It’s a rewarding experience.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

What can you learn from like-minded leaders? Don Rositano’s path from Sam’s Club to credit union CFO is a reminder that the best strategic instincts often come from unexpected places. Callahan Roundtables put credit union finance executives in the same room to share what’s working, pose hard questions, and learn from peers navigating the same challenges. Learn more and register.

The post Insights From The Outside: Don Rositano appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

If there’s one person who knows the history at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union ($36.7B, Tustin, CA), it’s Marina Miller. More than 40 years ago, when it was still known as Orange County Teachers Credit Union, she inquired about a summer job before college. She’s been there ever since.

Although opportunities just kept showing up, Miller says it’s the culture that has kept her there.

“We make a difference for the community members we serve, and serving the educational community is so impactful,” she says. “This is where I belong and where I can do the best work.”

For more than a decade, Miller has served as SchoolsFirst FCU’s vice president of history and culture, a job that connects her to the credit union’s roots and helps her educate others on where the credit union came from and where it’s going.

What is your elevator pitch when someone asks what you do?

Marina Miller: I’m responsible for ensuring our culture stays alive and our values are embedded into everything we do. I also get to work on finding ways to show appreciation for our team, so recognitions, rewards, and celebrations are hosted in my area. We know that if we take care of the team, they will take care of the members. That’s been our secret sauce.

We’re 92 years strong at this point. It’s important we understand where we came from so we know where we’re going. In our new corporate office, we dedicated a room to display the rich history and legacy of our credit union. We start with the beginning of the credit union movement and walk through the years of how SchoolsFirst FCU — then known as Orange County Teachers Credit Union — was formed and who our founding fathers were. We have wonderful pictures and artifacts built out in the space. It is an experience. All of our new hires go through it to understand where we’ve come from and what we’ve done.

What’s the story behind your title?

MM: Rudy Hanley was the CEO here for 32 years, and when he retired, he said the one thing that kept him up at night was wondering what was going to happen with the culture of the credit union. He led with a member-service focus, and that’s what we’re here for.

We took a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to keep our culture alive. He felt it was important to create a position, which is the position I’m in now, to preserve the history and culture for the credit union, and he felt I would be the person who could lead it. What an honor to have your CEO approach you and say, “I want to make sure our culture stays alive and that our history is always at the forefront, and I want you to lead that.”

It was an opportunity I could never say no to. I was flattered, and I hope I’ve made him proud. We’ve really grown the role, and it’s been infused into everything we do.

What makes your role interesting?

MM: To take our history and make it interesting and relevant to today in different ways has been exciting. I also lead the meeting and event technology side of the house, so we’ve been able to lean into video and technology for some of the learning tech. The more new ways to get our history in front of our team, the better. Especially now that we serve the whole state of California, folks don’t always have an opportunity to visit and explore our history room.

What part of your role energizes you? Conversely, what part challenges you the most?

MM: We serve four different generations of a workforce, and not everybody wants to be taught, recognized and celebrated in the same way. Finding ways to make those connections is a challenge, but I view it as a fun opportunity to make an impact at different levels. Trying to figure out what motivates and keeps team members engaged is interesting — you think you understand it until you don’t, and then you have to pivot.

For our Dream Team conference, an annual event celebrating all 3,000 team members at once, we needed new ways to make connections. We used to do in-person conferences, but today it’s hard to do that, so we had to find new ways to make it more engaging. We came up with an app where we can have interactive activities during the conference for team members to join remotely. That’s been different because we’re going from in-person to virtual but still engaging team members and ensuring they’re able to participate.

Are there any misconceptions about your role?

MM: People think we’re the party people; we’re always just having fun. Little do they know there’s a lot of work that goes into everything we do because everything has to be curated for the special activity or event to ensure alignment and at the same time, stay on budget. We’re very resourceful, and we have to get super creative which can be a challenge when planning over 50 events each year. Team members might not know all the details it takes to make everything come together; they just experience it when it’s pushed through.

What is the No. 1 skill you need to do your job?

MM: A passion to serve.

Could someone from outside the credit union step into this role?

MM: I don’t think you need tenure to be successful in this role. I took the responsibility of this role to a level where I would want to make Rudy Hanley proud. Everything I do is documented — we have photos, videos, we have storyboards, we have printed material about our history. If someone really wanted to be successful in this role, they could learn about it and become engrossed in it. If they have that passion to serve, they’ll figure it out.

Clearly, it would be easier if you knew a little about the credit union’s history, but you can learn that. The right person who has passion and creativity can be successful.

How does your role contribute to the success of the credit union in ways people might not expect?

MM: I have a team of four direct reports, two of whom assist me with organizational events and meetings, a manager who primarily oversees a team of 10 who runs our Dream Team Orientation and Service University, and a fourth person who supports our media and event technology. Our success is the fact that we help tell the credit union’s story. We build a foundation for incoming team members and we help tell the story through technology.

How do you define success in your role?

MM: Through our team-engagement scores and member-engagement scores. They’re outstanding — they’re top class. We try to get the pulse of our team on how they’re feeling, how engaged they are, and we have team members openly share if they have issues or concerns through our annual team engagement survey. We have a great recognition platform that we lead and host — called the Pulse, funnily enough — and our team members tell us how we’re doing.

If your role didn’t exist, what would your credit union be missing?

MM: I don’t know if we’d have as much of a focus on and respect for the past. In the next decade, there’s going to be so many tenured people, with so many years of credit union history who will be retiring and leaving the credit union in the hands of those who come behind us. It will be interesting to see whether it will continue in that same manner.

Why do credit unions need this role?

MM: We need to realize where we came from; some of those humble beginnings and how we made an impact on the lives we serve. We can shape our future with our past if we understand this is where we came from, this is what sets us up for success, and if we continue on this path, we’ll continue to grow and thrive. That says a lot about who we are. It’s all of those member stories and the impact we make in the school districts and the way we give back to the communities we serve. We are definitely here to serve our members, not ourselves, and people need to understand that difference.

What should people know about your role that you haven’t addressed already?

MM: Our stories and impact we make to the communities we serve extend beyond our doors. Whenever we need to rally on the legislative front, we have a story to tell and we’re ready to put it out in front of them. It’s not just internal, it’s about how we continue to stay at the forefront when it comes to the political scene.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Member engagement begins with employee empowerment. SchoolsFirst FCU’s investment in culture, from onboarding experiences to recognition programs, reflects what Gallup research confirms: when employees feel connected to the mission, they deliver experiences that build emotional trust and drive member loyalty. The Member Engagement & Financial Wellbeing Consortium helps credit unions activate this internal shift from the inside out. Learn more.

The post What’s In A Name: Vice President Of History And Culture appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

No longer solely a back-office issue, fraud attacks against credit unions are becoming faster, more technology-enabled, and more pervasive across all member touchpoints.

As digital capabilities advance, institutions must view fraud within a broader risk management framework, especially as financial crimes grow more scalable and irreversible, with schemes like business email compromise, cryptocurrency fraud, identity theft, and lending scams exploiting speed, anonymity, and control gaps.

But there’s also a way credit unions can protect themselves: by implementing practical solutions to counter threats. These include proactive approaches based on internal controls, training, monitoring, and governance, along with identifying weaknesses and addressing them before they can be exploited.

Barry Pelagatti, a partner in RKL’s Audit Services Group and leader of its Financial Services and Risk Management Service groups, shares insight from his 30 years of experience helping financial institutions across the Mid-Atlantic strengthen controls, respond to evolving threats, and manage risk in a practical, proactive way.

How does RKL support credit unions in preventing, detecting, and responding to fraud and identity theft?

Barry Pelagatti: RKL supports credit unions in designing risk-based plans focused on preventing, detecting, and responding to fraud and identifying theft by emphasizing strong internal controls, data protection, access management, security awareness, and incident reporting.

Internally, we focus on safeguarding sensitive information through restricted access, password controls, secure data storage, device security, ongoing training, and prompt reporting of lost devices or suspected unauthorized access.

These same practices help us support credit unions as we work with them to strengthen fraud prevention, improve detection of suspicious activity, and respond quickly to potential incidents.

What are the key fraud trends you’re seeing today, including some recent data and the rise of cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency-related schemes?

BP: Fraud trends today show that financially motivated crime is increasingly digital, fast-moving, and scalable. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Report shows the Internet Crime Complaint Center has received approximately 836,000 complaints per year on average during the past five years, reflecting the persistent nature of online fraud. The report also highlights that cyber-enabled fraud accounted for roughly 38% of 2024 complaints but nearly 83% of total reported losses, with approximately 333,981 complaints and $13.7 billion in losses.

Investment scams were the largest category by reported loss at about $6.57 billion, whereas business email compromise caused roughly $2.77 billion in losses. Cryptocurrency continues to play a major role due to its speed, pseudo-anonymity, and limited recovery options, with more than $9.3 billion in losses in 2024.

Common payment channels include cryptocurrency, wire transfers/ACH, debit and credit cards, peer-to-peer payments, and gift cards. Overall, fraud is becoming more technology-enabled, more cross-border, and harder to reverse once funds leave the victim’s control.

How are fraud schemes evolving, and what should credit unions know about identity theft risks, modern scam tactics, and loan fraud red flags?

BP: Fraud schemes are evolving by blending traditional deception with modern technology, social engineering, and increasingly realistic fake documentation.

Identity theft remains one of the fastest growing crimes, with fraudsters targeting personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, email credentials, insurance data, and loan information.

Tactics include phishing, spear phishing, vishing, smishing, pharming, skimming, mail theft, pretexting, typo-squatting, and whaling. Newer scams like “pig slaughtering” involve building trust over time before steering victims into fake investment platforms, often involving cryptocurrency.

An important takeaway is that scams are no longer always crude; fake websites, executive impersonation, and AI-assisted document creation can make fraud attempts appear legitimate. On the lending side, red flags include unusually large loan requests, questionable repayment terms, inconsistent or forged documentation, discrepancies in personal information, frequent applications, and reluctance to provide supporting details.

What practical steps can credit unions take to strengthen fraud risk management, including detection methods, internal controls, employee training, and overall risk strategy?

BP: Credit unions can strengthen fraud risk management by starting with a formal fraud risk assessment that identifies vulnerabilities, measures risk, and connects those risks to specific control activities.

Strong internal controls are foundational, especially since fraud often arises from control weaknesses. Key measures include segregation and rotation of duties, mandatory vacations, surprise audits, employee account reviews, and background checks for higher-risk roles.

Maintaining a confidential reporting system allows employees, agents, and the public to report concerns without fear of retaliation, which is critical since tips are a leading method of detecting fraud. Continuous monitoring, including automated tools, helps ensure controls are working as intended.

Employee training should be mandatory and ongoing, covering fraud awareness, warning signs, reporting procedures, and consequences. Targeted, frequent, recurring training is especially important for high-risk functions.

At a broader level, organizations should align fraud management with governance, oversight, and a prevention-first strategy, as prevention is generally more effective than recovery after losses.

To learn more about RKL, visit the firm’s website and follow RKL on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn for updates on services, insights, community involvement, and career opportunities as well as information about RKL’s mission and values.

The post Fraud Is Faster, Smarter, And Harder To Stop. Here’s How To. appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

We view member experience as a system that must be designed, measured, and continuously improved. That requires clear ownership at the executive level. My role is crucial not to control all touch points but to align the organization around an MX strategy.

Andre Vygnanski joined OUR Credit Union ($360.4M, Royal Oak, MI) as the chief experience office in February 2024. Prior to that he was CEO at Ukrainian Selfreliance Michigan Federal Credit Union ($138.0M, Warren, MI) for more than five years and had been a relationship manager for a major bank for nearly nine years.

What has changed in member experience, what hasn’t, and how has its leadership matured at credit unions?

Andre Vygnanski: Several years ago, member experience was about service, how friendly we were, how quickly we responded, and how consistent we were across branches. The core of member experience is still about trust and human member connection, which remains our differentiator, but member experience is no longer a front-line initiative. It’s now part of the entire credit union mission.

Member experience is now shaped just as much by digital platforms, data, and automation as it is by people in branches and contact centers. Members expect one seamless relationship with us. My role has matured from overseeing service delivery to creating the entire member lifecycle. This includes onboarding, digital engagement, product adoption, and long-term relationship management.

The other part is involved in technology decisions, data strategy, and revenue generation. Experience is no longer soft function, it is directly tied to growth, retention, and member lifetime value. Our credit union treats member experience not as a department but as a system that drives the whole organization.

Two more important aspects. First, employee experience is just as important to me as MX because I must empower our employees to serve our members. Second, member expectations are shifting from experience to guidance. Members expect us to use the data they allow us to access to guide them, not just serve them.

How does your organization approach member experience, and where does dedicated MX leadership have the most impact today?

Andre Vygnanski: We view member experience as a system that must be designed, measured, and continuously improved. That requires clear ownership at the executive level. My role is crucial not to control all touch points but to align the organization around an MX strategy.

Digital branch environment becomes more critical because there are fewer touchpoints to recover from poor experiences. Our staff has an increasing amount of data specifically from digital channels about preferences, behaviors, and trends, and we need leadership to turn that into action steps so we can continue to meet growing demands of members through guidance and service.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

The post 6 Takes On Today’s Member Experience: Andre Vygnansk appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Organizations that treat experience as a core capability, supported by clear ownership and strong leadership, are best positioned to compete, grow, and attract and retain talent.

Inna Sprague has been chief experience officer at Teachers Federal Credit Union ($9.9B, Hauppauge, NY) since March 2020. She joined the Long Island-based cooperative after six years at a large California credit union and more than seven years with a big bank.

What has changed in member experience, what hasn’t, and how has its leadership matured at credit unions?

Inna Sprague: The foundation of member experience remains grounded in understanding and anticipating member needs, building trust, and delivering value at every interaction. What has changed is the scope of what experience represents and the pace at which expectations continue to evolve. Members are no longer evaluating their financial institution based on a single transaction or touchpoint. They are evaluating how an organization shows up across every interaction, including digital engagement, communications, and community presence.

As a result, the CXO role has matured into a truly enterprisewide function, bringing together data, technology, operations, brand, communications, and employee readiness to ensure a cohesive and consistent experience.

At Teachers Federal Credit Union, this evolution has been central to our growth. By aligning experience with data, marketing, communications, and community engagement, we are able to take a more connected and intentional approach to how we engage with members and how we share the value of membership. This strengthens trust, deepens relationships, and supports our growth goals while maintaining a consistent, high-quality experience.

How does your organization approach member experience, and where does dedicated MX leadership have the most impact today?

Inna Sprague: The CXO role is critical to the strength of an organization because experience is a primary driver of growth, loyalty, and differentiation. In the financial services industry, where products can often feel commoditized and trust is paramount, the experience an organization delivers becomes one of the most meaningful ways to stand apart.

As consumer expectations continue to rise, success is measured by more than satisfaction. In financial services, it is defined by trust, engagement, ease of interaction, and long-term member value. The greatest impact for CX leadership today is in connecting these outcomes to business strategy. This includes using data and insights to anticipate member needs, simplify complexity, and ensure that every interaction reinforces confidence in the institution — while also equipping and empowering our employees with the tools and training they need to deliver an exceptional experience.

Organizations that treat experience as a core capability, supported by clear ownership and strong leadership, are best positioned to compete, grow, and attract and retain talent in an increasingly dynamic and competitive financial landscape.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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We understand member experience as an enterprise responsibility. The CXO role acts as a steward of experience, helping translate strategy into day-to-day behaviors and decisions.

Kim Riley has been the chief experience officer at Wright-Patt Credit Union ($9.6B, Beavercreek, OH) since January 2025. She previously held the roles of senior vice president of member experience and vice president of service delivery at the Ohio cooperative.

What has changed in member experience, what hasn’t, and how has its leadership matured at credit unions?

Kim Riley: At its core, the chief experience role has always been about serving members. What has evolved is how we look at the many moving parts that influence a member’s experience. Consequently, the role has evolved into a strategic, enterprise-level leadership function that sits at the intersection of member needs, operational reality, and organizational strategy.

Member experience is not a linear journey or a set of touchpoints. It’s a dynamic ecosystem that spans everything we do — including digital platforms, front-line interactions, internal processes, and employee behaviors. Intentionally looking at that dynamic ecosystem as a whole helps better serve our members.

One example of how the role has shifted because of this mindset is how we focus our improvement efforts. Rather than optimizing individual experiences, we focus on designing systems that consistently deliver trust, ease, and value at scale. As digital offerings and self-service capabilities continue to expand, the experience leadership function now focuses on ensuring those tools are intuitive, inclusive, and supported by real people when members need them most.

The CXO role has also matured to balance member expectations, like personalization, transparency, and speed without losing the caring service and relational strengths that make us stand out as credit unions.  This helps organizations deliver modern, competitive experiences while staying true to our missions.

Also, and importantly, the role has expanded beyond member-facing moments to include employee experience, operational alignment, and organizational readiness. Experience outcomes today are deeply influenced by how well teams are equipped, how clearly expectations are set, and how effectively departments work together.

As a result, the CXO role is now a catalyst for cross-functional alignment, change management, and cultural consistency.

How does your organization approach member experience, and where does dedicated MX leadership have the most impact today?

Kim Riley: At WPCU, part of our vision is to be the best organization our member-owners have ever experienced. Dedicated MX leadership is critical in working toward that vision. It ensures experience is intentional, measurable, and sustainable. Centralization helps with consistency, managing competing priorities, and establishing clear accountability for outcomes.

We understand member experience as an enterprise responsibility. The CXO role acts as a steward of experience, helping translate strategy into day-to-day behaviors and decisions.

Today, dedicated MX leadership has the most impact in three areas:

• Aligning Across Functions — Experience leaders help ensure the credit union evaluates operational, digital, risk, and people decisions through a consistent member and employee lens, especially as services become more complex and technology-driven.
• Evolving Success Measurement — Member experience is no longer defined by a single score. Member experience leaders help interpret a broad set of signals such as behavioral trends, operational friction, employee insight, and long-term outcomes to guide smarter decisions and investments.
• Strengthening Culture And Accountability — As expectations rise, clarity matters. Member experience leadership helps establish shared expectations around serving members, supporting employees, and balancing efficiency with care. This creates consistency while acknowledging the varied ways teams contribute to the member experience.

In today’s environment, experience is a strategic differentiator rather than a program or a department. The CXO role ensures experience remains aligned with the credit union’s purpose while adapting to changing member needs, workforce dynamics, and competitive pressures.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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What began as a push to improve service at the front line has become an enterprise-level responsibility shaped by digital channels, data, and rising expectations. The concept is no longer new, yet the work and the clear need for ownership of it has never been more complex.

That evolution has reshaped how today’s experience leaders describe their work — it’s less about championing service ideals and more about owning what members actually experience across the organization.

“When I became a CXO in 2018, I was often asked, ‘What does that mean?’ These days, heads nod and I’m asked, ‘So, which experiences are you responsible for?”

Stacy Armijo, Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union

Read More From Stacy Armijo

“The maturing of the CXO role demands we shift our thinking on service delivery models and face the reality that members are beginning to place a higher value on our processes over our people. A clean, friction-free process beats the warmest smile and the firmest handshake.”

Jimmy Lovelace, Chief Experience Officer, Community First Credit Union of Florida

Read More From Jimmy Lovelace

“I’ve never met another CXO who had the same make up of teams or areas of specialization, but we’re all driving toward the same output. What makes the practice of experience so beautiful is that it can be owned by so many leaders, across different areas of practice, including digital, service, technology, marketing … the list goes on and on.”

Ami Iceman Haueter, Chief Experience Officer, MSUFCU

Read More From Ami Iceman Haueter

“We view member experience as a system that must be designed, measured, and continuously improved. That requires clear ownership at the executive level. My role is crucial not to control all touch points but to align the organization around an MX strategy.”

Andre Vygnanski, Chief Experience Officer, OUR Credit Union

Read More From Andre Vygnanski

“Organizations that treat experience as a core capability, supported by clear ownership and strong leadership, are best positioned to compete, grow, and attract and retain talent.”

Inna Sprague, Chief Experience Officer, Teachers FCU

Read More From Inna Sprague

“We understand member experience as an enterprise responsibility. The CXO role acts as a steward of experience, helping translate strategy into day-to-day behaviors and decisions.”

— Kim Riley, Chief Experience Officer, Wright-Patt Credit Union-

Read More From Kim Riley

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I’ve never met another CXO who had the same make up of teams or areas of specialization, but we’re all driving toward the same output. What makes the practice of experience so beautiful is that it can be owned by so many leaders, across different areas of practice, including digital, service, technology, marketing … the list goes on and on.

Ami Iceman Haueter joined Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ($8.4B, East Lansing, MI) as its assistant vice president of research and digital experience in 2019. She stepped into the role of chief experience office in January 2025.

What has changed in member experience, what hasn’t, and how has its leadership matured at credit unions?

Ami Iceman Haueter: The criticality of the role remains the same; what “experience” includes is ever evolving. Roles like a chief experience officer serve a multitude of needs for institutions and can often be seen as the Swiss army knife of the credit union.

I’ve never met another CXO who had the same make up of teams or areas of specialization, but we’re all driving toward the same output, to create better experiences for our members, employees, and communities. What makes the practice of experience so beautiful is that it can be owned by so many leaders, across different areas of practice including, digital, service, technology, marketing … the list goes on and on.

The trick is to remain focused on the intention of the experiences you’re working to create to ensure productive outcomes.

How does your organization approach member experience, and where does dedicated MX leadership have the most impact today?

Ami Iceman Haueter: If no one is paying attention to how experiences are connected, curated, or created, you ultimately end up with a hodge podge of “almost there” work. I fundamentally believe experience design is everyone’s responsibility, but you need a leader or leaders to help create a clear vision and plan on how to execute.

In our organization, we focus on service experience, brand experience, and digital experience. Especially in the digital service space, having a focused leader or team ensures the ever-growing to-do list is maintained and prioritized for experience impact.

In today’s market, members have experience expectations before they ever walk in or log in. Our opportunity is to show them we won’t only meet those expectations but exceed them because we know them best.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Don’t stop here. Before she was a CXO, Ami Iceman Haueter tackled a new C-level role and a merged division to drive digital innovation at MSUFCU. Read more in “What’s In A Name: Chief Research And Digital Experience Officer.”

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The maturing of the CXO role demands we shift our thinking on service delivery models and face the reality that members are beginning to place a higher value on our processes over our people. A clean, friction-free process beats the warmest smile and the firmest handshake.

Jimmy Lovelace joined Community First Credit Union of Florida ($3.0B, Jacksonville, FL) as its vice president of branches in 2014 after several years with a major bank. He became the Florida cooperative’s chief experience officer in March 2023.

What has changed in member experience, what hasn’t, and how has its leadership matured at credit unions?

Jimmy Lovelace: Let’s start with what hasn’t changed. The member still expects and deserves a great experience. What has changed is how we deliver it and what key components define it.

There was a time when we focused on things like “service with a smile” or “speed of answer” in call centers. With the digital age, service is more about first-point-of-contact resolution, transparency, and instant digital delivery, fulfillment, and empowerment.

AI is here and upending all pre-conceived notions on process design and digital delivery. Service used to be personal, requiring multiple in-person touchpoints to deliver. But the landscape has shifted. The member might prefer to go it alone but wants to feel that whoever designed the process did so with them in mind.

Fintechs do an excellent job of removing barriers in digital processes that we insist on having a human do. Members love a human in the loop when they want it, but we continue to insist our digital processes include that human touch because we have conditioned ourselves to believe that people equal service.

The maturing of the CXO role demands we shift our thinking on service delivery models and face the reality that members are beginning to place a higher value on our processes over our people. A clean, friction-free process beats the warmest smile and the firmest handshake.

How does your organization approach member experience, and where does dedicated MX leadership have the most impact today?

Jimmy Lovelace: There has long been a saying that “service is everyone’s responsibility.” We all play a role in delighting our members, but the CXO is responsible for the strategy and interconnectivity of our delivery channels into one seamless experience.

It’s this role that collaborates with key stakeholders to create a vision for what role branches play in membership growth and market development. The CXO is responsible for activating the contact center as a sales and service provider to support service and growth.

This role also integrates into all digital delivery channels so we can serve our members in the ways they want. Once the strategy is locked in, the CXO becomes a central figure in developing and deploying the tactical plans, roadmaps, and metrics that keep the member experience aligned with organizational expectations.

Finally, the CXO serves as the key listening post for members and teammates so their feedback remains central to strategy shifts and modifications. Although there are organizations that fold these duties into multiple roles, there is greater value in having one collaborator curating the experience to exceed organizational expectations.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Don’t stop here. Jimmy Lovelace helps Community First realize the benefits of humanizing the sales and service processes. Read more in “Jimmy Lovelace On Leadership.”

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