Press
Filene Leadership Team Adds Jason Milesko to Drive Applied Research; Denise Gabel and George Hofheimer Take New Roles
Filene Research Institute
For more information, contact:
Mark Meyer (608) 665-8550 | markm@filene.org
MADISON, WI – With a continued focus on using research findings to help credit unions thrive, the Filene Research Institute announces the hiring of Jason Milesko as Chief of Advisory Services. Under the new organization, George Hofheimer will be the Chief Research and Innovation Officer, and Denise Gabel will serve as Chief Finance and Strategy Officer.
As Chief of Advisory Services, Jason Milesko will focus on using Filene’s research and innovation findings to help credit unions refocus their strategies and capitalize on promising new ideas. Jason joins Filene from Galt & Company, a boutique strategic consulting firm that advises Fortune 500 companies. He earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and has a distinguished background in consulting, private equity, and investment banking. “I’m impressed by Filene’s 20 years of world-class research, and I’m excited for the challenge of putting that research to work for credit unions,” Jason says.
In the new structure, George Hofheimer, who previously served as Chief Research Officer and in the interim oversaw the building of Filene’s applied research and advisory services, will add innovation to his portfolio. This includes all of Filene’s innovation publications and programs, including the popular i3 group. “In my six years with Filene I’ve always loved the core research. Now I’m excited to join the search for new consumer-friendly innovations, and I’m really excited to work with the i3 group,” Hofheimer says.
Denise Gabel will transition from Chief Innovation Officer, where she oversaw partnerships and the prestigious i3 group, to the Chief Finance and Strategy Officer, where she will be responsible for identifying trends and opportunities outside the credit union system and bringing them to Filene members and credit unions in general. She will build new partnerships and strategies with an outside-in focus. “I’m excited to help credit union leaders get off the credit union cul-de-sac to see what’s going on out on the autobahn,” Gabel says. “I want to help credit unions work with leaders in industry and academia in a deliberate way to help consumers,” Gabel says.
“2012 is not a year for credit unions to be comfortable, but rather to be hungry,” says Filene CEO Mark Meyer. “Our new team and the sharpening focus on impact is a wonderful extension of Filene’s core value of bringing powerful research, good ideas and innovations to credit unions. Jason will extend the Institute’s skills. And all of us at Filene are committed to helping credit unions remain focused on bringing real value to credit union members and North American consumers.”
The non-profit Filene Research Institute is a consumer finance think tank serving the North American credit union system of $1.3 trillion in assets and more than 100 million members. Filene publishes objective research and fosters consumer-focused financial innovation. The Institute collaborates with leading researchers and academic institutions worldwide.