Madison, WA (October 1, 2025) |
In this edition of The Cooperative Connection, we look back on a month of engagement in Asia and the United States, with Paul Treinen making his first member visits as WOCCU's new full-time President and CEO. We also preview the month ahead as we prepare to celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day 2025!
Meeting Our Members Where They Are
Treinen Connects with Members in Asia, Iowa
Paul Treinen in September had the honor of engaging with credit union leaders and advocates at two important events: Asian Credit Union Forum 2025 in The Philippines, and the Iowa Credit Union Convention in the United States. Paul joined Thomas Belekevich, WOCCU Director of Member Services, for his first visits with our membership base since accepting the permanent leadership role at WOCCU. Both experiences underscored how our shared values transcend geography and culture, and how, together, we are strengthened by mission and purpose. Learn more.
Belekevich Heads to Ghana and Peru
After traveling to The Philippines for Asian Credit Union Forum 2025 in September, Thomas Belekevich is back on the road this month to engage with African savings and credit cooperative (SACCO) leaders in Accra, Ghana, at the 2025 SACCA Congress, hosted by the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA). He will then immediately fly to Lima to engage with Peruvian credit union leaders at the Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito del Perú (FENACREP) National Convention. Both organizations are WOCCU direct members.
A Focus on International Advocacy
Addressing Credit Union Governance Challenges
WOCCU International Advocacy on September 25 hosted a virtual event with credit union leaders from Ireland, Jamaica and Malawi on the challenges and solutions for governance practices specific to the financial cooperative model. You can watch it now on the WOCCU YouTube Channel.
Engaging with Leaders in Washington, D.C.
Our International Advocacy team of Paul Andrews and Erin O'Hern continued engaging with our members in September. They attended America's Credit Unions’ Congressional Caucus 2025, meeting with the industry leaders and lawmakers shaping the U.S. credit union agenda.
Bringing International Advocacy to the Heartland
Erin O' Hern also participated in a Regulatory Panel at the Iowa Credit Union Convention and shared how the international standard setters are influencing a number of issues American credit unions will be facing in the future, including AI transparency. Learn More.
Research on Global Payments Innovation
WOCCU Partners with Filene Research Institute
The Filene Research Institute's Global Payments Innovation: A Research Brief for U.S. Credit Unions is now out. Co-designed with World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), it synthesizes insights from nine international case studies and highlights both opportunities and risks for U.S. credit unions.
Podcast: Emerging Trends in Fraud and Cybersecurity
Efrain Orsini, Jr., Director of Security Operations for SilverSky, a cybersecurity firm that has safeguarded a number of American credit unions for more than 20 years, joins Episode 53 of The Global Credit Union Podcast to talk about several of the emerging fraud and cyber threats and how artificial intelligence is putting a new spin on many of them. He also discusses the ways credit unions, both large and small, can protect themselves moving forward.Listen Here.
Just 15 Days to International Credit Union (ICU) Day 2025!
Get Ready for ICU Day 2025
October 16 is almost here! WOCCU and Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU) have curated a full suite of ready-to-use resources to help you celebrate International Credit Union Day with impact, fun and shareable moments.
This year’s theme, “Cooperation for a Prosperous World,” highlights the global solidarity of the credit union movement and the everyday interactions, digital or face-to-face, that build prosperity together. Find:
Free Posters & Promotional Materials
WOCCU Member News
- Canadian Credit Union Association Calls for Faster, Fairer Merger Reviews in New Report
- Co-ops in Singapore finding ways to stay relevant amid competition from private firms
- Walleton: The first interoperable digital wallet of the Peruvian credit union System
Did you know Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions' (WFCU) WYCUP and Global DE programs have a new leader? You can learn more about that in WFCU's September Global Good Digest.
