Good Governance: Oath of office versus code of conduct
I recently joined the board of my local retail cooperative and at the annual general meeting, I not only returned a signed copy of the director oath of office but also recited it in front [...]
CUES News Archives
What are your board’s historically unmentionable topics?
We at DDJ Myers sometimes need to ask board members or a board chair, “What are the historically unmentionable topics that your board should discuss?” In response, we often hear “board composition” and “succession.” The [...]
Succession planning does not equal term limits
At DDJ Myers, we quantify and measure eight best-practice governance categories through a board assessment tool. Our goal is to give boards–as self-governing fiduciary bodies–an easy way to assess performance, leverage strengths, identify [...]
Is your credit union ready for compliance challenges and insider threats?
As financial institutions, credit unions are constantly faced with compliance challenges. From navigating evolving frameworks to dealing with potential threats from both staff and third-party vendors, managing compliance requires a comprehensive approach that leverages the [...]
Strength in adversity: Nurturing resilience for credit unions
Amid shifting headlines and evolving news cycles, it’s easy for important stories to fade from view. While the flames may have receded from top stories on the mainland, the very real challenges confronting the [...]
Inside Marketing: Staying true to the mission while adopting new engagement tools
The path to successful marketing lies in understanding your identity and the people you serve. $1 billion LAFCU, Lansing, Michigan, has earned national recognition for its ability to discern this. Yet the trust the credit [...]
Leadership Matters: Choosing humility
I’m starting to see, more and more, why so many people shy away from conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. They’re complicated. And confusing. And as one of my former colleagues once [...]
Creating loyalty with members of all generations
Credit unions face more financial service competitors than ever before and are challenged with attracting new members and retaining existing ones. But there is one way credit unions can help their members, stand apart from [...]
Signs of a cybersecurity—or other fraud—concern
Fraudsters design their scams to get people’s attention—and later their money. Here are three things that First Line of Defense is teaching credit union staff people this summer so they can better prepare [...]
CFO Focus: How can we manage volatility in our pre-funded benefits portfolio?
Total investments in pre-funded employee benefits programs have increased drastically as credit unions continue to navigate challenges in attracting and retaining talent amid rising benefits costs and tight labor market conditions. In 2021, total assets [...]
The importance of experimentation in financial institution planning
For many, the art of planning feels counterintuitive, as its core is not accounting-based as much as it’s a sociological experiment. We use a planning model to simulate the environment and measure the ramifications [...]
Addressing talent challenges requires a holistic and innovative approach
It’s an exciting time to be stepping into the CEO role at CUES, which is dedicated to developing credit union leaders. I recently returned from the 2023 World Council of Credit Unions conference, where [...]
NextGen Know-How: 15 lessons for leadership and life
Last month, I celebrated 15 years in business as a leadership consultant, facilitator and speaker. There have been many lessons and learnings along the way, and my life looks very different than it did 15 [...]
How to avoid identity fraud nightmares
Fraud is on the rise, and the use of synthetic identities (combining different people’s stolen personal information to form false identities) has a particularly strong financial impact. According to a report by FiVerity, synthetic [...]
Simplifying and accelerating your wealth advisory business
This is the second in a three-part series to help prioritize the burning issues that face credit union leaders, offering actionable tips to help grow wealth management departments. Financial literacy has never been more important. [...]