The latest from John Pembroke

Mar 6, 2018 - by John Pembroke, CUES

3 business reasons for advancing women

When CUES was considering starting up a digital publication focused on advancing female credit union leaders, our magazine team reached out to industry women who currently lead and who aspire ...

Feb 8, 2018 - by John Pembroke, CUES

6 executive skills worth paying for

Executives these days won’t say yes to just any compensation package. In fact, according to a January 2018 Credit Union Management magazine article and a new e-book by CUES ...

Jan 18, 2018 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Do you have alignment among your leaders?

The fact that director-level leaders and senior staff at credit unions had different perceptions of governance was evident throughout the research done for The State of CU Governance, 2018, a ...

Dec 1, 2017 - by John Pembroke, CUES

4 ways to develop talented rookies

I watched the Nov. 12 Bears vs. Packers football game with special interest—and not just because I’m a longtime Bears fan leading a Wisconsin-based association. I was also ...

Nov 1, 2017 - by John Pembroke, CUES

3 things your CU’s leaders must agree on—and why

Even the best pro quarterbacks can’t win games by themselves. Despite being able to call some of their own plays, these athletes will find success most often when they’...

Oct 4, 2017 - by John Pembroke, CUES

Do you fear leadership assessment?

At one point during the weeklong CEO Institute III: Strategic Leadership Development, there is some fear in the room. That point is right before participants receive the results of what ...

Sep 12, 2017 - by John Pembroke, CUES

4 ways your leaders can build your brand

Spotting an exceptional brand is easy. (Think Apple, GE, Zappos and Nike.) But building an exceptional brand can be one of the most overwhelming and elusive challenges organizations face, according ...

Aug 1, 2017 - by John Pembroke, CUES

8 ways leaders can overcome the trust crisis

“Build trust, build trust, build trust. Then you can worry about all the rest.” When Seth Godin wrote this on his blog back in February 2014, he was thinking about ...

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.