RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA (May 5, 2021) — If credit unions are to thrive in a post-pandemic era, the industry needs to rethink everything, including the traditional credit union business model. This is the consensus among change agents from both inside and outside the movement, each of whom will take the digital podium at different sessions throughout CO-OP’s THINK 21 Virtual Forum series.
Among the presenters who will deliver this message to THINK 21’s credit union attendees are Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns and Co-Founder of Say; Tim Greene, vice president of innovation for Elements Federal Credit Union; and behavioral scientist Francesca Gino. During the sessions, Jean Chatzky of Her Money Media will guide discussions exploring why there’s never been a more important time for credit unions to make the pivot from traditional, siloed product-driven providers to holistic, member-centric financial partners who activate member usage with lifestyle payments solutions.
May 25, 2021, at 10 a.m. PT: Rethink your service model: exceeding expectations at every moment
Acorns’ Kerner and Elements FCU’s Greene will join other speakers for a discussion regarding shifting consumer expectations. Through the lens of proprietary EY/CO-OP research, they’ll share strategies for owning both micro- and milestone-moments to deliver use cases that enhance the member experience and gain primary financial relationships with more members.
July 27 at 11 a.m. PT: Rethink data: turning insights into personalized experiences
Author and behavioral scientist Gino will talk through investing in data insights and a modern payments infrastructure alongside the strategic development of member empathy. Gino, in addition to Chatzky and CO-OP’s SVP of Client Relationships Tiffany Doty, will share ideas for initiatives that enable credit unions to efficiently be there for every key member moment today and down the road.
The first THINK 21 Virtual Forum, held last month, emphasized the importance of getting to know members and their day-to-day needs. It was a message that resonated with the more than 1,200 attendees, as 45 percent of respondents to a mid-session polling question named “Having a better understanding of the lifestyle needs of current members” as the one strategy that would have the most immediate impact on their credit union’s growth.
“It’s more urgent than ever to transform how we think about the credit union business and service model,” said Samantha Paxson, Chief Experience Officer for CO-OP Financial Services. “We must move from siloed products and services to a model that demonstrates our understanding of the member through curated, needs-based experiences. Value-based bundles built specifically for each member’s needs will allow credit unions not only to compete, but to lead and grow through the delivery of truly personalized lifestyle banking.”
A fourth and final THINK 21 Virtual Forum will take place on November 9, 2021, on the topic of rethinking operations and maximizing the power of payments.
There is no charge to register for any of the THINK 21 Virtual events. Attendees can learn more and register immediately by visiting https://co-opthink.org/events/think-21/.
CO-OP Financial Services is a payments and financial technology company whose mission is ensuring the success of the credit union movement. CO-OP payments solutions, engagement services and strategic counsel help credit unions optimize member experiences to consistently provide seamless, personalized multi-channel offerings, while delivering secure, sophisticated fraud mitigation service. For more information, visit www.co-opfs.org.
Bill Prichard, APR
Director, Public Relations
CO-OP Financial Services
(909) 532-9416
Bill.Prichard@coop.org
