"We Can't Live in the Comfort Zone" — Angela Chan's CFO Playbook at Smart Financial Credit Union

Next-Gen Credit Union Leadership: Empathy, Clarity & Strategy | Women of Banking Podcast

What does it truly take to step into the CEO seat and shape the next generation of leadership in credit unions? In this powerful episode of the Women of Banking podcast, host Anurag sits down with two phenomenal female executives making waves in the financial ecosystem: Deena Otto, CEO of Southland Credit Union, and Steph Sherrodd, CEO of Sunward. Whether you are an aspiring executive, a mid-level manager looking to level up, or a veteran leader building a sustainable organization, this candid conversation delivers raw, authentic wisdom, and actionable leadership blueprints straight from the top. In this episode, we break down: * The CEO Transition: What changes when you step into the top role (and why clarity is ultimate kindness). * The Art of Alignment: How a leader synchronizes boards, employees, members, regulators, and communities. * Emotional Intelligence in Banking: Embracing Victor Frankl’s philosophy on controlling your reactions to environmental chaos. * The "Not 100% Ready" Rule: Why taking leaps before you feel fully prepared is critical to career acceleration. * Functional Mobility: How both Deena and Steph broke the mold by transitioning from Marketers to financial CEOs. * Succession Planning & Deep Benches: Strategies for empowering EVPs, providing structured learning, and building cross-functional leadership pipelines. Leadership isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. Tune in to discover how to find your "Why," connect with the right Board of Directors, and make the critical hiring decisions that sustain long-term growth. --- ## 📌 Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction to Deena Otto (Southland CU) & Steph Sherrodd (Sunward) 0:45 - What Does Great Leadership Look Like? (Setting Expectations & Clarity) 1:35 - Creating Alignment Across Stakeholders, Boards & Regulators 2:45 - The Biggest Leadership Lesson: Controlling Reactions & Victor Frankl 3:48 - Seizing Opportunities Before You Feel 100% Ready 5:10 - The Journey to the CEO Seat: Mentorship & Intentional Decisions 6:10 - Breaking Out of Functional Silos (From Marketing to CEO) 8:00 - Career Advice for Aspiring Female Credit Union Executives 9:20 - Knowing Your "Why" & Finding the Right Board Fit 12:15 - The "Repetition" Mindset of Executive Interviewing 12:53 - The Power of Mentors: Shaping Brand Strategy & Balance Sheets 15:15 - Resolving the Succession Planning Crisis in Credit Unions 17:30 - Building a Deeper Bench: Mid-Level Leader Programs & Executive Exposure 20:05 - Advice to a Younger Self: The Leadership Marathon vs. Sprint 21:50 - The Weight of Hiring Decisions & Managing Underperformance 23:02 - Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks --- ## 💡 About The Guests: * Deena Otto is the Chief Executive Officer of Southland Credit Union. With a background rooted in marketing and brand strategy, she emphasizes operational transparency, member experience, and building cross-functional agile teams. * Steph Sherrodd is the Chief Executive Officer of Sunward. Formerly the longtime CEO of TDECU, Steph brings decades of executive experience focused on strategic alignment, structured leadership development, and empathetic workforce management. --- ## 🔔 Connect With Us: Subscribe to the Women of Banking channel for more candid conversations, expert panels, and strategic insights from the industry's top leaders. #WomenOfBanking #CreditUnion #CEO #BankingLeadership #WomenInFinance #ExecutiveCoaching #SuccessionPlanning #CreditUnionCEO #LeadershipDevelopment

How Credit Unions Win on Member Experience & Culture | Jennifer Kimmell, TruWest Credit Union

Welcome to a brand new episode of the Women of Banking podcast. In this episode, host Anurag Mukherjee sits down with Jennifer Kimmell, the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of TruWest Credit Union, to discuss how credit unions successfully differentiate themselves in an increasingly digital financial landscape. Jennifer shares her incredible professional journey—spanning three decades in financial services and over 20 years dedicated to credit unions—highlighting how she rose from an entry-level teller position to the C-suite. As a leader who manages marketing, operations, and experience, Jennifer provides a masterclass on balancing employee experience with exceptional member service. Discover how TruWest Credit Union, which originated as the Motorola Employees Credit Union, maintains an astonishing average employee tenure of over 10 years, and how that internal culture translates into members being recognized by first name when they walk through the door. * The Journey from Teller to CXO: Why the credit union industry captivates financial professionals and how frontline experience shapes executive leadership. * The Blueprint for Employee & Member Experience: Why investing in internal culture and empowering employees is the true foundation of customer delight. * Competing Against Big Bank Tech Budgets: How community financial institutions leverage their "connective tissue" to win against multi-billion dollar IT budgets and fast-moving fintech competitors like Chime and Chase. * The Evolution of Digital Banking: Embracing emerging fintech, mobile deposits, and personalized digital experiences while maintaining strict security and community trust. * Financial Literacy as a Community Strategy: Transforming credit unions into safe harbors by educating the next generation on credit scores, home buying, and debt management. * The Power of Authentic Mentorship: What it means to be a true champion for your team, embracing failure as a path to growth, and building the next generation of leadership. * The Heart of Community Banking: A touching story about a retired Marine veteran that perfectly encapsulates why members are treated as people, not numbers or P&L entries. Jennifer Kimmell is the Chief Experience Officer at TruWest Credit Union, overseeing experience, marketing, and operations. In addition to her role at TruWest, she serves as the Second Vice Chair of America's Credit Union Council Executive Committee, helping oversee eight prominent councils. Outside of the financial world, Jennifer is a dedicated club volleyball mom and full-time shopper based in Phoenix, Arizona. * Subscribe to the Podcast for more insightful interviews with female executives and industry leaders shaping the future of community banking and credit unions. * Visit TruWest Credit Union: Learn more about their financial services and community initiatives. #CreditUnions #CommunityBanking #MemberExperience #Fintech #FinancialLiteracy #WomenInBanking #Leadership #BankingTechnology #CustomerExperience #TruWestCreditUnion

How Credit Union of America Grew Gen Z Members & Built a High-Volume Digital Branch | Nicole El-Chami, COO, Credit Union of America

How do you fast-track your career from a part-time teller to Chief Operations Officer (COO) in just 16 years? In this episode of the Women of Community Banking podcast, we sit down with Nicole El-Chami, COO of Credit Union of America (CUA), to unpack her incredible journey of career velocity, operational excellence, and leadership in the credit union and fintech space. Nicole shares her exact framework for vertical growth, explaining how accountability, a reputation for turning around struggling departments (like slashing call center wait times from 40 minutes), and proactive mentorship paved her way to the C-suite. We also dive deep into the strategic side of modern community banking. While many financial institutions struggle to attract younger demographics—with the average community bank customer hovering around 53 years old—Credit Union of America has cracked the code. Nicole reveals how CUA dropped their average active new member age to just 35, making Gen Z their fastest-growing demographic. Discover the operational balance between expanding physical branches and scaling a high-volume digital branch that outperforms the bottom half of their physical footprint combined. Plus, get her take on why EQ (Emotional Intelligence) trumps IQ when managing people and navigating complex digital transformations like AI and RPA implementation. Key Takeaways from This Episode: * The Accountability Mindset: How treating challenges as leadership opportunities accelerates executive promotions. * The "And" Model of Banking: Why community financial institutions must provide robust digital banking channels and face-to-face complex advisory services, rather than choosing between them. * Gen Z Acquisition Strategy: How Credit Union of America successfully acquires younger members using automated digital onboarding and local community impact. * Operational Excellence Defined: Embracing "progress over perfection" to implement AI and digital transformation seamlessly without disrupting member trust. * The Power of Sponsorship: The critical role internal mentors and public advocates play in opening doors to executive rooms. Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction & Nicole’s Non-Typical Journey1:00 - The 16-Year Path: From Part-Time Teller to COO2:00 - The Secret to Career Velocity: Extreme Accountability3:10 - Becoming a "Firefighter": Turning Around Call Center Operations5:00 - Defining Operational Excellence in Modern Banking6:10 - Digital Branch vs. Physical Branches: Finding the Right Balance7:50 - Cracking the Gen Z Code: How CUA Grew Younger Memberships10:00 - Mentorship, Executive Sponsorship, and Continuous Learning12:20 - Rapid Fire: Grit, AI vs. Personal Touch, and MBA vs. Real-World Experience14:00 - EQ vs. IQ: Why Relationships Dominate the Credit Union Industry About Our Guest:Nicole El-Chami is the Chief Operations Officer at Credit Union of America. Over a 16-year tenure, she has held roles across the complete operational spectrum—including frontline member service, payments processing, dispute management, deposit operations, contact center leadership, and digital branch strategy. She is a recognized leader in credit union innovation, driving operational efficiency while maintaining the cooperative movement's core focus on community impact. Connect with Us: * Subscribe to the Women of Community Banking Podcast for more interviews with executive women and fintech innovators driving the financial services industry forward. * Drop a comment below: What is the biggest operational challenge your financial institution is facing when integrating AI? #CreditUnion #CommunityBanking #Fintech #WomenInBanking #BankingLeadership #DigitalTransformation #GenZBanking #FinancialServices #CareerVelocity #WomenOfCommunityBanking

How Credit Unions Build Proactive Member Retention Playbooks with Data | Holly Reustle, VP SECU

How do progressive financial institutions turn complex, back-end data architectures into seamless, frontline member experiences? In this episode of the Women of Banking podcast, host Anurag Mukherjee sits down with Holly Reustle, Vice President of Business Intelligence and Member Experience at SECU Credit Union (Maryland’s largest credit union).With a distinguished 14-year career spanning marketing agency strategy, healthcare consumer insights, and financial services, Holly offers a tactical masterclass on how to operationalize business intelligence to drive proactive member retention.Discover how SECU utilizes an integrated Voice of Member program to cross-reference quantitative transactional engagement with qualitative sentiment analysis. Holly breaks down the exact mechanics of their pioneering Informal Complaint Project—a workflow that intercepts micro-frictions and subtle drops in satisfaction before they manifest as low survey scores or structural attrition, allowing specialized internal teams to close the feedback loop.She also delivers transparent breakdowns on managing data operations within an Agile project management framework, handling hyper-personalization across wildly divergent demographics (Gen Z/Alpha vs. legacy mature members), and navigating the future of human-AI collaboration and agentic workflows inside community finance.Key Discussion Points & TakeawaysThe CX-BI Conjunction: Why pairing member experience metrics directly inside the business intelligence department unlocks predictive retention modeling that standalone data teams miss.The Informal Complaint Framework: A systemic blueprint of how SECU identifies, tracks, and actively resolves passive member friction before it translates into account churn.Agile Frameworks for Bank Analytics: How to deploy two-week sprints, continuous backlog refinement, and organization-wide stack ranking to balance multi-year infrastructure pipelines with rapid, ad-hoc data requests.The Personalization Matrix: Balancing the expectations of younger digital natives (who demand tailored experiences in exchange for data) against the privacy concerns of more mature banking demographics.Data Democratization & Storytelling: How SECU built its centralized, usage-monitored "My Intelligence" internal dashboard portal, and why matching technical metrics with direct member focus group snippets is vital to ensure business user consumption.Key Executive Quote:"Data can enable an experience. The more that we understand about our members and understand what channels they want to hear about things through or how they want to interact with us, the better we can enable experiences for them." — Holly Reustle, VP of BI & Member Experience at SECUEpisode Timestamps00:00 — Welcome to the Women of Community Banking Podcast & Guest Introduction01:22 — Holly Reustle's 14-Year Career Journey: From CPG Agencies to Healthcare & Finance03:22 — The Peer-to-Peer Advantage: Why Credit Unions Thrive on Radical Collaboration05:41 — Breaking Silos: Merging Business Intelligence (BI) with Member Experience (MX)06:40 — Core Case Study: Executing SECU’s Proactive Informal Complaint Project08:25 — Employee Experience (EX) as the Hidden Catalyst for Consumer Outcomes09:38 — Agile for Analytics: Structuring Two-Week Sprints and Backlog Refinement13:11 — Personalization Debate: Is Trigger-Based Target Marketing Reaching Its Limit?15:39 — Hyper-Personalization Playbooks: Tailoring Journeys for Gen Z vs. Mature Members17:05 — Maximizing Dashboard Adoption: Inside the "My Intelligence" Corporate Portal18:50 — Bringing KPIs to Life Through Qualitative Video Snippets and Storytelling21:26 — Linear Regression to Agentic AI: Boosting Back-Office Servicing Speeds#CommunityBanking #DataAnalytics #MemberExperience #CreditUnion #AgileData #BusinessIntelligence #HyperPersonalization #AIInBanking #VoiceOfCustomer #WomenInBanking

How This CXO Runs Marketing, Payments, Retail & HR Simultaneously | Stacy Armijo, Amplify

How does a financial institution completely eliminate standard bank fees and survive—let alone thrive? In this episode of the Women of Banking Podcast, host Anurag Mukherjee sits down with Stacy Armijo, the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Amplify Credit Union based in Austin, Texas.Bringing an unconventional, external perspective from her 17-year career in the public relations and agency world (including serving as Executive Vice President at Pierpont Communications), Stacy challenges conventional banking wisdom by asking "naive questions" backed by rigorous financial data. Stacy pulls back the curtain on how Amplify scaled to over $3 Billion in assets under management while executing a bold, complete transition to 100% fee-free banking—proving that ethical mission delivery and strong net interest margins are not mutually exclusive.👇 Key Technical & Strategic Insights in This Episode:- The Transition to Fee-Free Banking: How Amplify built a profitable financial case to eliminate overdraft, maintenance, and wire transfer fees.- The Reality of Overdraft Income: Why relying on penalizing members in a financial hole is a unsustainable strategy for modern financial institutions.- Cross-Functional CXO Leadership: Orchestrating an unusual portfolio encompassing "Demand, Deposits, Payments, and People" (Marketing, Retail, Payments, and HR).- Omnichannel Channel Design Principles: * Online Channel: Optimizing for availability and high-speed transactional efficiency. * Phone Channel: Prioritizing empathy and absolute effectiveness over average handle time (AHT). * In-Person Branch: Cultivating deep human connectedness and consumer confidence.- The Surprising Gen Z Trend: Why Gen Z consumers are 4X more likely to walk into a physical branch to open an account than baby boomers.- Radical Transparency: Cultivating a democratized corporate culture that empowers employees with open-book financial reporting.💡 Key Executive Quote:"Revenue is not the reason that we do what we do, but it is the evidence of our mission well-delivered. If you don't have a strong profit margin as a credit union, your ability to sustainably deliver your mission is in jeopardy. If you're losing money, you are living on borrowed time." — Stacy Armijo, CXO---CHAPTERS:00:00 - Introduction & Stacy Armijo's Unique LinkedIn Presence01:20 - From Public Relations at UT Austin to the Banking Sector02:58 - Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Asking "Naive Questions" in Banking04:57 - Why Credit Unions Must Talk About Profit Margins and Revenue Metrics07:40 - The CXO Scope: Aligning Promises Across Deposits, Payments, and People09:10 - Strategic Channel Architecture: Designing for Behavior over System Silos11:20 - The Unexpected Data on Gen Z Retail Banking Preferences12:50 - The Inside Story of Moving to entirely Fee-Free Banking 14:45 - The Financial Proof: Dropping Overdraft Fees Without Increasing Charge-offs17:05 - Rapid Fire: Digital vs. Branch, Austin Culture, and Radical Transparency---CONNECT WITH US:Host: Anurag Mukherjee Guest: Stacy Armijo (Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union)Amplify Credit Union Website: https://www.goamplify.comDiscover more about local Austin insights on Stacy's podcast: changingaustin.comMake sure to like this video, leave your thoughts on fee-free banking in the comments, and subscribe to the Women of Community Banking Podcast for more masterclasses in executive leadership!#WomenInBanking #FeeFreeBanking #CreditUnions #CustomerExperience #OmnichannelStrategy #RetailBanking #GenZTrends #Fintech #AustinBusiness #WomenInLeadership #AmplifyCredit Union