The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) and Humanidei have announced a strategic partnership designed to increase the diversity of credit union leadership across the system.
Humanidei, a human capital strategies firm, has set an ambitious goal to help credit unions reach 30 x 30: 30 percent of key leadership positions in the credit union movement held by women and people of color by the year 2030. AACUC is building toward this goal as it continues to expand the interest — and increase the number — of minorities in the credit union movement; develop and mentor volunteers and professionals; and encourage African-American college students to pursue employment within the credit union movement.
According to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), approximately 95 percent of all credit union CEO positions are held by white professionals, and fewer than 15 percent of credit unions with assets over $1 billion are managed by women. Other sources indicate that 10 percent or fewer of all credit union board chair positions are held by people of color.
Humanidei believes that it is critical to bring more minority candidates into consideration for leadership positions. The industry is striving to benefit from the value added through diversity in leadership — leadership that is more representative of the population the industry serves.
The partnership between the organizations will offer individuals increased access and referrals to key job openings, consulting services to prepare for candidacy, and education to expand leadership potential. Organizations will have access to expanded talent pools, succession planning services, and human capital planning that will tap into external and internal talent.
“Clients who work with Humanidei choose us because they are interested in tapping into a diverse and rich pool of talent for succession planning, internal development, and organizational growth,” said Jill Nowacki, president and CEO of Humanidei. “Our partnership with AACUC will help further connect us to top talent in the credit union space that will boost our clients’ performance and the strength of our industry.”
Through the partnership, both individual and organizational members of AACUC will have discounted access to Humanidei’s services, including candidate coaching, succession planning, executive searches, and human capital planning. AACUC will also provide referrals for Humanidei’s executive recruiting service, helping build more richly talented and diversified candidate pools.
“I am thrilled to offer this value-added service to our membership and excited about what this can lead to for the credit union movement,” said Renee Sattiewhite, president and CEO of AACUC. “Our organization is growing with many strong, qualified leaders. This partnership is a great example of a credit union partner organization ‘stepping up.’ Humandei will offer tools to help credit union professionals continue building their careers, as well as assisting credit unions in gaining access to more of the best talent available.”
