Archives
The Longevity Economy and Safeguarding Financial Well-Being in a Rapidly Aging World
For the first time in history, people age 50+ outnumber younger populations. As we enter the greatest wealth transfer of our time, how can credit unions stay ahead of it? Join Dr. Eric Chess and Rebecca Laurie for an interactive session, with Q&As throughout, that takes a fascinating look into the medical science behind the aging brain and the psychology and behavioral economics behind financial decision-making.
Who’s Up Next? An Industry Update on Board and CEO Succession
This session will delve into the specifics of these new requirements and discuss best practices and benchmarks for succession plans for board of directors, key executives, and other critical positions. You will gain insights into best practices for crafting comprehensive succession plans that comply with regulatory expectations and enhance the credit union’s strategic approach to leadership continuity.
Spotlight Session: Learning to Lead at GoWest’s Leadership Institute
This session will showcase the program’s proven approach that bridges the gap from manager to leader and inspires individuals to drive meaningful change within their credit unions and lead their teams to success.
Keynote: The Current Political Moment with John Harwood
This is hardly the first time American politics have been bitterly divided, but it’s the first time it’s been bitterly divided in this way. With insight, humor, and rich personal stories, John Harwood draws on decades of work for the most prestigious outlets on the media landscape to describe the unpredictable electoral outlook that this collision of forces has produced.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Expanding Access to Homeownership in Tucson
This session will showcase a community-centered collaboration model that can be replicated to design innovative products and services that meet unique local needs. Learn from a panel of Tucson-area credit union leaders who partnered to expand homeownership access by co-creating a home financing opportunity. You’ll gain insights into how credit union partnerships and collective impact models can lead to financial solutions that serve community needs in a significant way.
The Battle for Primacy: Attracting & Growing New Member Relationships
This session will explore innovative methods to attract new credit union members in today’s competitive landscape. The session will delve into leveraging both traditional and digital strategies to cut through the noise and reach potential members effectively. Additionally, the importance of optimizing digital experiences through user behavior analysis and segmentation will be highlighted, ensuring your team meets evolving customer expectations for personalized and seamless online interactions.
The State of the Auto Lending Industry & Forecasts for 2025
Join us for insightful exploration as we delve into the current landscape of auto lending, examining key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry today. Industry experts will analyze recent developments in consumer behavior, regulatory changes, and technological advancements influencing lending practices. You will hear forecasts and projections for 2025, providing invaluable insight for stakeholders looking to navigate and capitalize on the evolving auto lending market. Whether you are a lending professional, CEO, or other functional area leader, this session promises to equip you with strategic knowledge essential for future planning and decision-making in the dynamic world of auto lending.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Navigating Emerging Fraud Trends with the U.S. Secret Service
This session will provide valuable insights into emerging threats such as social engineering and ATM jackpotting. You will learn about external and internal cybersecurity challenges and gain actionable strategies to effectively prevent fraud. This is an opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from the field and enhance your credit union’s defenses against financial crimes. The session will conclude with Q&A time, allowing for an interactive and informative discussion.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Robotic Process Automation: A Case Study from WSECU
Join WSECU’s Judith Henderson, Chief Technology Officer, and Melissa Wolff, VP of Operations Support and Payment Services, as they share highlights from their credit union’s journey to understand and implement robotic process automation. Hear about lessons learned, strategies for success, and opportunities to implement cutting-edge technology that delivers value and service to membership. During this session, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, share input from your credit union, and uncover new ideas to take back to your organizations.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Find Your People: A Panel Spotlight on Industry Networking Groups
Join us as we highlight prominent networking groups within the Credit Union Movement, including CU Pride and CUWLA (Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance). Whether you’re new to the industry or looking to expand your network, this panel discussion offers valuable insights and practical advice on finding your place and building meaningful connections in the world of credit unions.
Facing Reality: Experience a Financial Wellness Simulation
Discover how you can offer realistic financial education simulations to students by guiding them through the daily responsibilities of adulthood using the Bite of Reality app. Bite of Reality kits are available free of charge from GoWest Foundation to GoWest member credit unions. Experience the interactive budgeting exercise firsthand, where you’ll make everyday purchases and decisions that impact your budget in real time, gaining invaluable insights into effective money management. You’ll hear from experienced credit union leaders who have been successful in facilitating Bite of Reality events in their communities who will share their insights, best practices, and expertise to enrich your experience.
Sales Is Not a Dirty Word: Creating a Culture of Service AND Sales
Since 2018, banks have consistently outperformed credit unions in overall consumer satisfaction. This is surprising because credit unions pride themselves on superior service. However, service must go beyond just being fast and friendly – it needs to include providing tailored solutions to solve members’ problems. That’s where sales come in. As leaders, we often wonder why our employees don’t sell more; however, we shy away from using the word “sales” and fail to set clear expectations. A credit union’s mission should define the behaviors necessary for success, but we often focus on outcomes instead of the behaviors that drive them. In this 90-minute workshop, you’ll learn numerous ways to increase sales without making your employees feel like they are selling, and you will walk away with at least four tangible insights you can implement on your first day back in the office.
All AI Is Not the Same
Artificial Intelligence is the hot, new buzzword being thrown around in financial services, but many people don’t understand how AI is different from machine learning or Generative AI. In this session, you’ll learn about the different types of artificial intelligence and how they apply in the financial services industry. Mike de Vere, CEO of Zest AI, will show how AI and machine learning can help credit unions better detect first-party, third-party, and synthetic fraud. You’ll learn how Generative AI is a game changer for credit unions, allowing you to get instant insights into your lending portfolios, analyze performance benchmarks, and access critical information from internal reports and documents – all with simple, natural human language prompts.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Regulator Dialogue 1 (NCUA, WA, AZ)
Financial regulation impacts all aspects of credit union operations. Hear from your financial regulators about the changing regulatory landscape, examination trends, and insight into programmatic improvements that will streamline exams and improve communication. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, offer suggestions, and provide feedback during this interactive session.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Repositioning Your Balance Sheet in a Post-Pandemic Environment
Join Scott Hildenbrand, head of Piper Sandler Financial Strategies, for a discussion on positioning your balance sheet for 2025 and beyond. Years of a pandemic environment, an unprecedented 500bp rate hike, and major bank failures have all led to financial institutions hitting the reset button to reassess their balance sheet risks in the new normal. During this session, you’ll learn about considerations for repositioning and resizing your balance sheet, review executed transaction case studies, and share how your ALCO/board can prepare today to take action. Hildenbrand will share market updates to contextualize the ideas and help management teams prioritize things that add value to their franchise.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.
Uncap Your Potential: Mental Fitness for Purpose-Driven Leadership
The human brain is the most complex technology available, but we’ve never been given a manual for it. In this 60-minute session, participants will learn the three mental muscles necessary to install an operating system for success in challenging times as well as learn strategies for shifting your brain and body from stress to ease and action.
This session qualifies for CPE Credit.