The latest from John Pembroke

Mar 18, 2016 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Six great coaching questions

All credit unions need talented people in every position. But having outstanding staff members is not enough. Leaders at all levels have to be coached in a way that boosts ...

Feb 19, 2016 - by John Pembroke, CUES

To be proactive about mergers, just pull up a chair

A lot of extra chairs had to be brought into the room during a breakout session at CUES’ Directors Conference in December. Attendees filled the seats at every table, took ...

Jan 22, 2016 - by John Pembroke, CUES

4 ‘Cs’ and a ‘Big B’ for new CEOs who want an ‘A’

A little over six months have passed since I started as CUES’ president/CEO. I can sincerely say that being CEO is different from any job I’ve had previously. ...

Dec 2, 2015 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Experience pushes top performance

Many runners sign up for a race to motivate themselves to train harder. Musicians, too, reach their pinnacle when they perform for an audience. And perhaps credit union leaders give ...

Nov 3, 2015 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Do you know how to make the most of a merger?

Many credit unions are undertaking mergers these days to grow. In fact, an average of 300 mergers are completed in the credit union industry annually, plus many more opportunities are ...

Oct 2, 2015 - by John Pembroke, CUES

A ‘Fitbit’ for learning

Fitness trackers like Fitbit are all the rage. They make it easy for people to keep tabs on what they’re doing to stay healthy by collecting data on exercise, ...

Sep 2, 2015 - by John Pembroke, CUES

How credit unions can win the war on talent

Today’s marketplace is a battlefield for talent. Your best and your brightest are going to be actively recruited by other places they could work—if they’re not already ...

Aug 17, 2015 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Your credit union team needs to know what you know

The key in real estate has always been location, location, location. The key in leadership today may well be communication, communication, communication. The business world is too complex to believe ...

John Pembroke

CUES

Web: www.cues.org

As president/CEO of CUES, John Pembroke came full circle in his career. His first exposure to business was a high school internship working in his father’s church credit union. He developed a deep connection to the impact credit unions make on their members’ lives. That experience and being raised by parents with advanced degrees taught him to value education, faith, relationships, and personal growth.

These values, combined with a progressive mindset, a desire to innovate, and an entrepreneurial spirit, were central to John’s success, allowing him to build a unique brand. Known for driving organizational growth and profitability, he leveraged his diverse business skills, relationship-building expertise, and leadership ability at PSCU, Cox Enterprises, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, and Procter & Gamble.

Under John’s leadership, CUES membership tripled, member loyalty increased, new and innovative talent development offerings were developed and launched, and the financial condition of the organization was improved. Also, CUES came to be viewed as an industry thought leader in talent development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In addition, he worked with his board to evolve its governance efforts and make DEI a priority throughout the entire organization.

One of John’s favorite quotes is by Greek philosopher Heraclitus: “Change is the only constant in life.” He lived by this maxim, consistently embracing opportunities to improve himself, his life, and the lives of others. For more than 25 years, he led companies with the same enthusiasm and was a trailblazer in the financial services, technology, consumer products, media, and non-profit industries.

John held a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Policy Studies from the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago.

Whether watching sports, traveling, spending time with friends and family or enjoying listening to new music—which was something he did every Friday—John considered having fun vital to a full life. He will be missed.