LA JOLLA, CA (May 19, 2026) |
Acumen Financial Advantage (AFA), a leading financial strategy consultancy serving credit unions, banks, healthcare systems, and nonprofits, today announced the expansion of its leadership team with two strategic new hires. The additions reflect AFA’s continued momentum as a partner of choice for the credit union movement, and underscore the firm’s commitment to delivering deep, relationship-driven expertise at every touchpoint.
“Credit unions operate in a complex and mission-critical environment, and the leaders who serve them need to bring more than technical knowledge, they need to bring trust, tenure, and a genuine understanding of the movement,” said Ryan Mlllman, Principal and Co-Founder of Acumen Financial Advantage. “Our growing team reflects exactly that. We are not just scaling our business; we are deepening our bench of credit union insiders who can stand side by side with our clients for the long term.”
New to the AFA Team
Guy Collins, Regional Vice President
Guy Collins joins AFA as Regional Vice President, bringing more than 30 years of executive benefit experience and a CFP® designation to his new role. For the last 15 years, Guy has focused exclusively on helping credit unions retain their key leadership talent, developing custom, tailored solutions that balance retention and reward features while honoring each organization's values and long-term goals. Every project results in long term retention strategies that are competitive and attractive from an executive perspective and structured in ways that are reasonable and affordable for the credit union.
“Credit unions thrive when those who execute on the vision and strategy can work together side by side over the long term,” said Collins. “I’m proud to bring that perspective to AFA and to the clients we serve.”
Mike Sampson, Regional Vice President
Mike Sampson joins AFA with more than 20 years of high-impact financial sector expertise, including leadership roles at Mastercard, J.P. Morgan Chase, HSBC, and Merrill Lynch. As Vice President of Business Development at Mastercard, Sampson led teams focused on capital utilization and operational excellence for community financial institutions, building a reputation for deep, executive-level partnerships that deliver measurable, sustainable growth.
Sampson also brings a distinguished 27-year career as a Captain in the U.S. Navy, a background that reinforces his approach to financial services with military precision, integrity, and a results-first mindset. He holds a BS from the University of Missouri and an MBA from UCLA.
A Growth Team Built for the Movement
The new hires join a seasoned leadership team with decades of collective experience serving credit unions and mission-driven financial institutions. AFA has restructured its sales team to better serve its clients. Together, AFA’s growth professionals represent a rare convergence of regulatory knowledge, relationship depth, and strategic creativity.
Mark Axmacher, Regional Vice President
Mark Axmacher is a senior financial services executive providing strategic leadership in executive compensation and retention strategy, institutional asset management and philanthropic planning for credit unions and banks. He specializes in designing compensation and benefits frameworks, including SERPs and Bank/Credit Union-Owned Life Insurance (BOLI/CUOLI), that align executive incentives with institutional goals and long-term organizational performance. Mark has deep expertise in NCUA regulations 701.19 and 721.3(b)(2), guiding credit unions in structuring compliant benefit and investment programs that maximize value within regulatory boundaries. He holds a degree in Economics from Miami University (OH), studied at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and maintains FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses and the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor® (APMA®) designation.
Carly Arora, Director, National Conference Strategy
Carly Arora leads AFA’s national conference strategy, bringing more than 10 years of senior consulting experience in the healthcare sector. A former SVP at GQR Global Markets and Regional Director at Adaptive Medical Partners, Carly has specialized in partnering with C-suite executives to develop successful recruitment and retention strategies across physicians and executives. Her work at AFA leverages her expertise in building strategic partnerships, developing high-performance teams, and identifying operational efficiencies.
Rick Boothby, Regional Vice President
Rick Boothby is a senior executive benefits consultant with more than 35 years of expertise in the design, implementation, and administration of supplemental retirement benefit plans, including 457(f), SERPs, Section 162 Plans, and Collateral Assignment and Endorsement Split Dollar programs funded by Institutionally Owned Life Insurance (IOLI). Rick is widely respected for his ability to translate complex financial models into clear, client-friendly strategies and for his deep knowledge of regulatory requirements for banks, credit unions, and nonprofits. He holds a BA from the University of Florida and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Michael Downey, Regional Vice President
Michael Downey brings more than 35 years of experience helping financial institutions design and implement executive benefit and balance sheet strategies with creativity, discipline, and long-term impact. A recognized pioneer in the credit union space, Michael introduced loan regime split-dollar programs more than two decades ago and has since championed total benefits prefunding strategies, Charitable Donation Accounts, and private placement life insurance and annuities. He holds the CLU (Chartered Life Underwriters) designation, FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 registrations, along with life, health, and long-term care insurance licenses.
Iain Rice, Director, Channel Partner Management
Iain Rice manages AFA’s key channel partner relationships, drawing on nearly a decade of experience building and managing strategic relationships for financial services firms. His focus on alternative investments, executive benefits, and charitable giving solutions for tax-exempt entities makes him a critical connector in AFA’s growing channel partner ecosystem. Iain earned a BBA from Belmont University in Nashville, TN.