Westerra Credit Union announces the promotion of Ellie Fordyce to Chief People Officer from Senior Vice President of Talent. In just over two years with Westerra, Fordyce has been instrumental in implementing significant positive change in both Talent Management and Talent Development. She is responsible for driving successful implementation of culture change initiatives while embracing the organization’s business and financial objectives. Since joining the team, these culture change efforts have resulted in a significant increase in employee engagement.
“Ellie’s impact has enhanced so many verticals of our organization. She personifies our mission, translating our culture and internal values into true positive change for our members,” stated Jay Champion, President and CEO. “Westerra is honored to have Fordyce take on a larger leadership role within the organization, and has full confidence she will continue to drive successful applications throughout the credit union.”
In December 2020, Knowledge Management and Business Process Management became part of the Talent organization under Fordyce’s leadership. Significant programs executed by Fordyce include:
- Gallup Employee Engagement Survey – This semi-annual survey gives a voice to all staff to help the organization improve employee engagement. Engagement scores have increased from 3.64 to 4.25 on a 5 point scale since the benchmark survey in early 2019.
- Total Rewards Project – This project established a new Total Rewards Philosophy, Compensation Guidelines, Job Architecture and Salary Structure.
- Quarterly Performance Conversations – Regular conversations occur each quarter rather than once per year. These quarterly performance conversations allow for continued and consistent ongoing feedback and allow us to be even more aligned and agile with our top priorities.
- Employee Volunteer Time Off Program – Employees can take up to 16 hours each year to volunteer in the community.
- Individual Development Plans – Instructor-led training, eLearning and self-assessment tools are implemented for individual development tracks that take each employee to the next level in their career.
- Virtual Skills Learning Club – Virtual Skills address the learning needs of the Westerra team during COVID-19 and beyond.
- Change Management – Leads these initiatives to support Westerra’s Strategic priorities.
Fordyce draws from over a decade of experience in human resource strategies, leadership development, talent acquisition and management and organizational development. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, complemented by a Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development & Change from Penn State with an Organization Development and Change Consulting Graduate Certificate.