Passion to help: A credit union leadership quality that drives financial inclusion

People helping people. It is the credit union creed that propels us to better serve members—no matter who, nor where, they are. We must acknowledge that credit unions would not exist, nor survive, without its employees’ persistent passion to help others.

Where does this passion come from? It begins with industry leaders, many of whom achieved success because they embraced ‘improving lives through credit unions’ as more than a career, but a way of life. This is true for two female CEOs, Dolores Rivera Ramírez and Anne Cochran, whose careers stemmed from a natural desire to help.

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Dolores Rivera Ramírez – General Manager, Caja Zongolica; Chair, ENTURA Mexico
Veracruz, Mexico

In 1994, Dolores Rivera Ramírez started the first credit union in Zongolica, Mexico, to meet the needs of poor residents in her rural community. Under her leadership, Caja Zongolica has grown to 67,000 members.

Zongolica is an indigenous region—one of Mexico’s poorest and most marginalized—that is best known for coffee production and its remote mountainous terrain.

The credit union built its success by establishing members’ trust. With 13 branches located within the region, Dolores only hires locals that can speak the indigenous language of the communities they serve, Nahuatl.

“If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed,” Dolores said about the credit union’s philosophy to bring financial services wherever people need them.

Since 2003, Caja Zongolica has participated in World Council’s Rural Microfinance Technical Assistance Program (PATMIR), which links rural residents to credit unions using an innovative rural finance methodology, coined Semilla Cooperativa [cooperative seed]. Dolores was among the first to pilot handheld transaction technology to deliver financial education, services and products to remote community groups. This outreach model has since expanded throughout Mexico and into other countries.

Through PATMIR, Caja Zongolica belongs to a strategic alliance network with World Council, the Mexican government’s development bank and other development organizations to facilitate broader rural development across Mexico, including agriculture and education.

Financial education and savings mobilization are major objectives at Caja Zongolica. For many locals, this credit union is the first financial institution to ever serve them. In addition to events and workshops throughout the area, the headquarters features an education center that teaches financial skills, particularly for youth. Staff also lead craft making workshops to provide members with a source of livelihood and encourage early habits of money management and savings at the credit union.

As Dolores’ experience, connections and success keep reaching new heights, she has been able to extend her leadership beyond the community. She is now chair of ENTURA Mexico, a financial services company that is leading national efforts to expand credit union payments services. The president of Mexico, government bodies and state banks all seek advice from Dolores and offer their support on efforts to advance financial inclusion and digital payments.

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Anne Cochran – President & CEO, Louisiana Credit Union League; Chair, World Council of Credit Unions
Louisiana, USA

Anne Cochran—a native of Ireland—has dedicated her past 15 years to credit unions, not only at home in Louisiana, but across the nation and globe.

“My passion for the entire credit union movement knows no bounds,” said Anne during her inauguration as World Council of Credit Unions’ first ever female chair last July. “I pledge to you to continue to grow that passion in my new role.”

Anne has continuously put credit unions first, at work and in her free time. She led the Louisiana Credit Union League to attain a record high affiliation ratio, while uniting 26 credit unions to create a shared-branching network that became one of the state’s most successful cooperatives. Following Hurricane Katrina, Anne also developed the Louisiana Credit Union Foundation to provide financial assistance for statewide disaster relief efforts, and provide educational opportunities for credit union employees and volunteers.

At the same time, Anne has tirelessly volunteered to help credit unions and associations worldwide grow and prosper. From serving on several boards and committees, to hosting developing credit unions from Africa and Russia, to traveling internationally to speak at events and trainings, she finds happiness in spreading financial inclusion through credit unions.

Anne’s most recent trip was to Mexico, where she met with Dolores Rivera Ramírez at Caja Zongolica. Together they met with remote community groups to watch and learn how the credit union processes financial transactions via tablets and mobile printers, and teaches financial education. They visited with credit union staff and members of all ages to better understand Caja Zongolica’s extensive impact on the region. Throughout the visit, Anne expressed her support and gained insights she can share with the global movement.

Anne admits that balancing work, volunteering and home life has been a challenge over the years, but she “makes it work.” Her experiences have contributed to her wide understanding and sensitivity to the diverse needs of credit unions to help more people.

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Anne Cochran presents Dolores Rivera Ramírez with a gift to recognize Caja Zongolica’s success in Mexico’s financial sector.

As two strong female leaders from different worlds, Dolores and Anne share a compassion for others and an eagerness to constantly seek new ways to better serve members. As long-time participants in World Council’s development activities, World Credit Union Conference and Global Women’s Leadership Network, they take advantage of opportunities to learn and share best practices with credit unions throughout Mexico and worldwide. Both women help improve our global credit union community.

Rebecca Carpenter

Rebecca Carpenter

Rebecca Carpenter is corporate communications manager for the World Council of Credit Unions, the international trade association and development agency for credit unions. She is on a mission to connect, ... Details