Breakout Speakers
Take a look at our speakers scheduled for the conference.
New speakers are added weekly!
Dele Adeleye
Bank of EnglandHead of Division, Small Mutuals and Strategic Goals
Speaker Bio
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Dele Adeleye
Bank of EnglandHead of Division, Small Mutuals and Strategic Goals
Dele Adeleye leads a division of banking supervisors and specialists at the Bank of England. Prior to this role, he held roles in the Resolution, Markets, Prudential Policy, and Financial Stability directorates of the Bank of England. Dele held a range of roles in the private sector before joining the Bank of England. He is a Qualified Accountant.
Liz Arkinstall
Libro Credit UnionManager Purpose Integration
Speaker Bio
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Liz Arkinstall
Libro Credit UnionManager Purpose Integration
As Libro Credit Union’s Manager Purpose Integration Liz is responsible for the development, coordination and oversight of strategies aimed to advance and integrate Libro’s Social Purpose. Liz provides leadership, expertise, and guidance on purpose, environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies for the credit union. Liz builds ESG expertise and fosters Purpose integration across the organization and supports and enables work by building cohesion across strategies and maximizing shared impact. Liz oversees Libro’s ESG initiatives, including its climate action plan, B Corp certification and community investment programs and is responsible for the development of social and environmental key performance indicators. Liz works nationally to support credit unions in advancing ESG knowledge and action as the co-lead of the CCUA climate action working group and sits on the Advisory Council at the Canadian Financial Resilience Institute. She is a previous WYCUP participant and Gary Gillam Corporate Social Responsibility Award Winner. In her spare time Liz enjoys yoga, walking her dogs and enjoying the outdoors.
Romeo Balzan
The Sicredi FoundationSuperintendent of Cooperation and Sustainability
Speaker Bio
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Romeo Balzan
The Sicredi FoundationSuperintendent of Cooperation and Sustainability
Romeo Balzan leads the Sicredi Foundation, the organization responsible for maintaining the essence of cooperativism in Sicredi's culture, through programs and initiatives in financial and cooperative education, governance, social and cultural investment, volunteering and diversity and inclusion. He leads the structuring and development of the sustainability strategy, through a portfolio of solutions that increase the positive impact of the organization in all aspects of ESG. Romeo has worked with Sicredi for over 19 years in multiple positions. He holds an MBA in Business Management with an emphasis on Business Finance and an MBA in Marketing with an emphasis on Business Management, both from ESPM and a Bachelor's Degree in Legal and Social Sciences from PUCRS.
Gina Bleedorn
AdrenalineChief Experience Officer
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Gina Bleedorn
AdrenalineChief Experience Officer
As Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Adrenaline, Gina leads change by inspiring the company’s clients and team members, the market and the industry by envisioning and creating the future of brand experiences. One of the original founders of Adrenaline, Gina has exemplified the company’s culture and vision for 20 years, generating meaningful experiences that drive and deliver business advantage. Known for her analytical prowess, razor-sharp customer insight, design brilliance, and ability to lead transformational change, Gina ignites audiences across the financial industry with thought leadership and storytelling. One of the industry’s brightest leaders, Gina is regularly featured in financial publications, keynotes at leading conferences each year and serves as co-host of the award-winning Believe in Banking Podcast.
Austin Brown
Community and Workers of Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (CWJCCUL)President and Chairman of the Board
Speaker Bio
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Austin Brown
Community and Workers of Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (CWJCCUL)President and Chairman of the Board
Mr. Brown is currently serving as President and Chairman of the Board of Community and Workers of Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (CWJCCUL); he is also the Executive Director of Verge Communications Limited. and is also Deputy Chairman of ID Pioneers. Mr. Brown is a former Senior Executive of Cable & Wireless and has spent over 30 years in senior leadership. Mr. Brown holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Based Management Information System from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH). He is a Fellow of the Telecommunications Executive Management Institute of Canada (TEMIC) and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance and is also a Certified Board Member. Mr. Brown is also involved with “The World Needs A Father” international organization and Mentoring a Nation (MAN) in Jamaica. Mr. Brown is the 2021 recipient of the Transformational Leadership Award, from the International School of Greatness and is also a Development Educator (DE).
Duke Butler
Prairie Payments Joint VentureCEO
Speaker Bio
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Duke Butler
Prairie Payments Joint VentureCEO
Duke is a seasoned corporate leader who demonstrates a passion for success and competitiveness in payments. As CEO of Prairie Payments, he guides the entire team with integrity and accountability and is focused on delivering excellence in payments. Duke has a successful track record in the financial services sector bringing approximately 25 years of global experience in strategy, professional services and technology, serving in executive, senior management and consultant capacities for organizations including RBC, Deloitte and Touché LLP, Microsoft and American Express. Duke joins PPJV most recently from RBC where he held several roles including Head, Enterprise Architecture Strategy for the Technology and Innovation Group as well as Head, Digital Bank Program where he was selected to lead a global start-up group developing and implementing an enterprise digital talent strategy for all lines of RBC’s business. Duke holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University, and Masters of Applied Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Waterloo.
Tara Chernoff
First Credit UnionVP, Impact and Marketing
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Tara Chernoff
First Credit UnionVP, Impact and Marketing
Jeeye Choi
NACUFOK (National Credit Union Federation of Korea)Senior Staff in the Public Affairs Team, PR & Marketing Division
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Jeeye Choi
NACUFOK (National Credit Union Federation of Korea)Senior Staff in the Public Affairs Team, PR & Marketing Division
Jeeye Choi is a senior staff in the public affairs team, PR & Marketing division at NACUFOK. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and business administration. Prior to her current position, she has had work experience in various fields at NACUFOK, including roles in international affairs, surveillance and supervisory division, and media communications.
Bill Corbett
Stabilization Central Credit UnionChief Executive Officer
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Bill Corbett
Stabilization Central Credit UnionChief Executive Officer
Bill Corbett is the Chief Executive Officer at Stabilization Central. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Bill draws on more than 25 years of experience in financial services, including 17 in the BC credit union system. Prior to joining Stabilization Central, Bill was the Vice President, Finance at Central 1 Credit Union and he spent 12 years at Vancity Savings Credit Union in various roles including Finance, Retail and Business Banking Operations, Strategy and running the Squamish Savings Credit Union. Bill also has an extensive insurance background having worked at the Insurance Corporation of B.C., and several other insurers. Bill serves as President of the Credit Union Foundation of BC, Vice Chair of the Credit Union Pension & Benefits Trust, and Treasurer of the BC Centre for Ability. Bill is passionate about credit unions and helping to foster a future for the credit union system, and the communities that they serve, through collaboration and partnerships.
Guy Cormier
Desjardins GroupCEO & President
Speaker Bio
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Guy Cormier
Desjardins GroupCEO & President
Guy Cormier has been President and CEO of Desjardins Group since 2016. He has worked for the cooperative for 30 years, becoming a caisse general manager in 2002, Vice-President of Finance in 2009, and joining Desjardins Group's senior management team in 2012. Since being elected President, Mr. Cormier has worked hard to instill a strong member- and client-focused culture that resonates with all of Desjardins's employees and directors. On top of creating the $250 million GoodSpark Fund, he's also helped the organization grow and become a household name across the country. As a champion of the cooperative model, shared prosperity, youth and a greener, more inclusive economy, Guy Cormier makes decisions that are based on the common good. Mr. Cormier is a graduate of HEC Montréal, where he earned both an undergraduate degree in business administration and an MBA. He also taught finance there for close to a decade. He currently sits on a number of boards, has been named a Chevalier of France’s Légion d'honneur, and in 2022 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of law by the John Molson School of Business.
Larrey Davey
Access Credit UnionCEO
Speaker Bio
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Larrey Davey
Access Credit UnionCEO
With over 30 years of experience developing and growing organizations to their full potential, Larry has been the Chief Executive Officer of Gimli, Noventis, and Access Credit Unions, as well as serving on various boards including the Credit Union Central of Manitoba Board, the HSC Foundation Board, and the Canadian Credit Union Association Board. Through decades of experience and education including a Graduate Degree in Business and MBA through Athabasca University, as well an ICD.D designation through Rotman’s School of Business at the University of Toronto, Larry executes on a management philosophy that trusts and empowers staff to achieve their best while holding organizations accountable to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. He has been part of leading Access through six amalgamations over the past three years.
Adrian Davies
NestEgg.aiCo-Founder
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Adrian Davies
NestEgg.aiCo-Founder
Adrian Davies has been setting up, managing and developing credit unions since 1999. With an initial career in money advice, he is a specialist in lending to the financially excluded. Adrian co-founded NestEgg.ai in 2018 to help credit unions grow their loan book with automated-but-fair lending decisions.
Ricardo de Campos
ITSCREDITCEO
Speaker Bio
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Ricardo de Campos
ITSCREDITCEO
As the company's CEO, Ricardo Campos brings to ITSCREDIT a profound understanding of conventional banking to the digital/technology side. He excels at both strategy and execution. Ricardo is a digital transformation expert with a track record of success in the development of the digital transformation at Bank Millennium in Poland, founder of the most popular mobile payment system in Poland (BLIK), CEO of a startup e-commerce digital platform called "Goodie," and CEO of ActivoBank, the benchmark in digital banking in Portugal. With an MBA from NYU - Stern, LSE, and HEC Paris, Ricardo is supporting ITSCREDIT in becoming a recognized global brand.
Diane Dou
Blueshore FinancialChief Experience Officer
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Diane Dou
Blueshore FinancialChief Experience Officer
She is an innovative leader, with strong commercial and governance acumen and over 20 years’ experience in financial services. She has served in a number of C-Suite roles with leading global and regional financial institutions, including HSBC Investment Funds Canada, HSBC Personal Banking and Wealth Management Canada, and Prospera Credit Union. Before joining BlueShore, Diane is the Western Canada Market Leader for Financial Services at EY Canada – at this position, she lead a consulting practice for regional banks, credit unions and wealth management firms in Western Canada. Diane is passionate about giving back to the broader community. She has served on a number of Boards including the Terry Fox Foundation, British Columbia Real Estate Association, Hong Kong Canada Business Association, the Abbotsford Airport Authority, the Abbotsford City Business, Innovation and Economic Development Committee, Credit Union CUMIS Wealth Management, and Atira Women’s Resource Society. She holds an Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D), an MBA in Global Asset and Wealth Management, and a BSc in Computer Science.
Sharon Marie Dy
NATCCO NetworkStabilization Fund System Group Head
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Sharon Marie Dy
NATCCO NetworkStabilization Fund System Group Head
Sharon Marie is a Certified Public of Accountant by profession. As well as a Certified Risk Analyst, Certified Forensic Accountant, Certified Internal Control Auditor. She has worked in the cooperative sector for more than 15 years. Her first exposure about cooperatives was during the WOCCU project in the Philippines on Model Credit Union Building and coming up with Philippine Deposit Insurance Scheme for Coops.
Corina Farbacher
Affinity Credit UnionChief Risk Officer
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Corina Farbacher
Affinity Credit UnionChief Risk Officer
Corina Farbacher brings more than 20 years of extensive legal, governance, risk and leadership expertise to her role of Chief Governance and Risk Officer with Affinity Credit Union. She holds an undergraduate degree in the social sciences and a Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Saskatchewan as well as an Institute of Corporate Directors, Director (ICD.D) designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Corina received her MBA from Queen’s University after being recognized as a recipient of the 30% Club Scholarship awarded to one woman entering the program who has demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and leadership and recently completed Masters Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management and Business Operations from Schulich School of Business, York University. With extensive governance experience gained from sitting on boards as well as through holding executive positions which include General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Corina is well versed in all legal and regulatory aspects of board governance, both from a director and senior management perspective. Corina is known as a transformational and visionary leader with a focus on governance, strategy and its execution, organizational change and developing leaders of the future. Success means seeking out expertise, recognizing aptitude, building on strengths and embracing humanity. It also means living a purposeful life, dedicated to family and personal and professional well-being. Corina gives back to her community with her core values of integrity, caring and achievement through involvement with boards and committees with both provincial and national scope, most recently with the League Savings and Mortgage Board of Directors in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Miranda V. Flury
Hawkeye StrategiesPresident
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Miranda V. Flury
Hawkeye StrategiesPresident
As the President of Hawkeye Strategies, Miranda lives out her purpose: Helping to turn light bulbs on. She works with Credit Union Boards and Executives all over the world to support their governance and strategy needs and in turn, she helps their people and communities. Her vast experience as a Professional Facilitator, International Speaker, and Expert Educator for Credit Unions enables her to provide a seamless and engaging experience that is tailored to each audience. Miranda has supported Boards, Executives, Regulators, Credit Union Peer Groups, Credit Union Centrals, Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs), and Credit Union Advocacy groups. She has spoken at conferences including the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), National Credit Union Management Association (NCUMA) in the USA, Swoboda Research Centre in the United Kingdom, the British Columbia Financial Services Authority Director’s Forum in Canada, and the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA). She offers her clients the knowledge gleaned from specialized expertise, tempered with the wisdom of wide-ranging experience from diverse industries. Miranda completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph, a Master’s level degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and an Executive MBA from the University of Fredericton. She has also earned a designation in Advanced Cooperative Governance. Miranda has held Board Director roles on Cooperative, Regulatory, and Private Boards and is currently a Director on one of the largest and most complicated Cooperatives in North America, Federated Cooperatives Limited. In her spare time, Miranda is a mentor with Futurpreneur where she helps new entrepreneurs successfully start their businesses. She is also a CrossFit enthusiast… but don’t get her started on this topic, she’ll have a hard time stopping!
Carrie Forbes
League DataCEO
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Carrie Forbes
League DataCEO
Carrie Forbes is the CEO of League Data, a Halifax based cooperative owned by the credit unions in Atlantic Canada. League Data is also the CIO for the Atlantic Credit Unions, providing enterprise banking solutions for the credit unions and their members. Carrie participates on several national committees and boards providing collaboration and influence within the financial cooperative and fintech sectors. Carrie joined League Data from the Province of Nova Scotia, where she was a Director of Strategic Relations in the Chief Information Office, and a Learning Consultant within the NS Public Service Commission. Prior to her work in the public sector, she held various positions at Scotiabank within its Electronic Banking center for a decade. She holds an Advanced Bachelor of Arts, English Major degree from Dalhousie University. As an avid life long learner, Carrie also holds numerous certifications from a variety of institutions.
Jonathan Fowlie
VancityChief External Relations Officer
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Jonathan Fowlie
VancityChief External Relations Officer
Jonathan leads Vancity’s External Relations and Impact Strategy division – an integrated group that oversees Vancity’s key strategies towards building a clean and fair world. The division includes the departments and channels that support and advance this work: community investment, climate strategy and performance; government relations; marketing; strategic brand communications; and stakeholder and member relations. As a financial co-operative that puts people first, Vancity understands that the major challenges affecting our members and communities cannot be addressed by one person or organization, but instead require people acting together to have a real impact. Under Jonathan, the division executes on Vancity’s major impact programs and strategies including its commitments to climate action and a just transition, and programs on affordable housing, Indigenous partnerships, and social and financial inclusion. The division also manages the credit union’s brand and reputation, telling the story of our work and of the individual actions members can take, and sharing the successes of people and communities coming together to create change. Jonathan previously served as Vancity’s VP of Government Relations, Public Affairs & Community Investment, and Director of Communications. Prior to this, he worked as a communications and public affairs consultant, advising some of B.C.’s top organizations through a variety of issues and opportunities. Earlier in his career, Jonathan was a reporter at The Vancouver Sun and The Globe and Mail, where he covered multiple assignments including the Tour de France, the war in Afghanistan and served six years as legislative bureau chief in Victoria. Jonathan has degrees in Film Studies and Journalism and is an alumnus of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values Leadership Academy. He has served as a Board member with the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation and is currently a board member of the Vancity Community Foundation. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys running, cycling, skiing and exploring the Gulf Islands.
Vasco Gil
ITSCREDITRisk Expert
Speaker Bio
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Vasco Gil
ITSCREDITRisk Expert
Risk expert and advisor with more than 16 years of experience in Banking and Consulting and working, currently working as partner of ITSCREDIT in the delivery of several projects and on the upgrade of their scoring solution. Worked for more than 8 years for Deloitte Portugal as a Manager of the Financial services area, more than 4 years as Risk director in two Top banks in Portugal and 2 years as a regulatory expert for the Portuguese Banking Association. Since the beginning of 2020 working as a contractor for banks/financial institutions, Central bank supervisors, fintech’s and consulting firms.
Jay-Ann Gilfoy
Meridian Credit UnionPresident & CEO
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Jay-Ann Gilfoy
Meridian Credit UnionPresident & CEO
Jay-Ann Gilfoy is the President & CEO of Meridian Credit Union, the largest in the province of Ontario and Canada’s second largest credit union. She joined Meridian in January 2022, with a mandate and focus on leveraging Meridian’s unique value proposition to transform its business, achieve its winning aspiration, and secure its future as an inclusive, transparent and people focused financial partner. In collaboration with the Board and senior management, she is responsible for articulating its strategy, delivering on Meridian’s purpose of helping Members and customers achieve a better life, creating opportunities within the communities its serves, and generating sustainable business growth. Jay-Ann’s leadership expertise in business transformation, environmental and social impact has been cultivated over more than 20 years as a senior executive in a broad range of roles and experiences in the private and public sector, and co-operative financial services.
Jeff Guthrie
Canadian Credit Union AssociationPresident & CEO
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Jeff Guthrie
Canadian Credit Union AssociationPresident & CEO
Jeff Guthrie joined the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) as President and CEO on July 1, 2022. He is an accomplished financial services executive with a wide range of experience in financial services and leading organization-wide transformations. Jeff began his career in retail banking at RBC Royal Bank (RBC) as a teller. During his tenure with RBC, he held a wide variety of roles of increasing responsibilities, eventually becoming a member of the executive team as Vice-President, Card Services. Inspired by taking on a new challenge, in late 2000, he left RBC and became one of the founding executives of Moneris Solutions (Moneris). Today Moneris is Canada’s number one payment processor and one of North America’s largest. Over his 19-year tenure at Moneris, he held a wide range of senior roles, including Senior Vice-President Operations and Integrations, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. During his time with Moneris, he served on the MasterCard Canada, Visa International, and Discover North American Advisory Boards. He also served as an advisor to the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) on developing the competencies and curriculum to establish sales as a graduate degree program. Most recently, Jeff served as President and COO of Hank Payments, a Canadian start-up focused on providing tools to help consumers improve their financial well-being. He is currently an advisor to Payment Source Inc., a payments company focused on financial inclusion in Canada. Jeff holds a Master of Management from McGill University, specializing in international business. An avid traveler, he has visited over 40 countries and plans to continue to explore the world with the lifting of restrictions. Over the past two years, he has filled the travel void by publishing over 20 essays on various subjects, such as economic recovery, mental health, and cryptocurrencies. Never shy of a challenge, Jeff is an accomplished ultra-marathon runner, having completed races in the most extreme conditions, including the Egyptian Sahara, Amazon Basin, Northern Iceland, and Fijian mountains. When not indulging his passion for travel and adventure, Jeff resides in Toronto, Canada.
Oscar Guzman
World Council of Credit UnionsChief of Party, Economic Inclusion Project
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Oscar Guzman
World Council of Credit UnionsChief of Party, Economic Inclusion Project
Oscar Guzman is an economic and financial inclusion expert with over 25 years of experience in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Currently, Oscar is the Chief of Party for the Economic Inclusion Project in Peru and Ecuador, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). Oscar has previously served as Regional Director for Latin America, Project Director, and Program Manager for Africa and Asia at WOCCU. He has held Chairman and Board member positions at numerous companies promoting digital financial services and transactions. Oscar received a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Carlos III in Barcelona, Spain. Oscar has taught at several universities as well as at the Boulder Institute of Microfinance. He has authored various publications on financial inclusion and has worked as an international consultant in more than 20 countries.
Troy Hall
Dr. Troy Hall, LLCPresident
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Troy Hall
Dr. Troy Hall, LLCPresident
Dr. Troy Hall Author, International Speaker, and Talent Retention Expert Featured on The Today Show, ABC, the Global BV-TV Network, Beyond the Business Radio Show, and CEO World, Dr. Troy Hall is an award-winning talent retention consultant, international speaker and author of the bestselling titles, Cohesion Culture: Proven Principles to Retain Your Top Talent, and Fanny Rules: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons That Never Grow Old. As the founder of Cohesion Culture™, Dr. Troy has dedicated his career to establishing a cycle of culture wellness in the corporate and professional sphere. His consulting and executive coaching engagements are built on the strategic framework of Cohesion Culture™, making the concepts of belonging, value, and shared commitment easy for organizations to adopt and implement. From the U.S. to Canada and the United Kingdom, from the Middle East to Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia, Dr. Troy has spoken at global conferences as a subject matter expert on the topics of culture & leadership, strategy, and change. Currently, Dr. Troy is distinguished as an International Development Educator and recipient of the South Carolina State House Resolution for his Global Leadership Exchange program, an international mentoring program. He developed the industry-recognized mentoring program for the Carolinas Credit Union League Protégé program. Dr. Troy has served on the boards of the School of Business for Charleston Southern University and Lowcountry Orphan Relief and is an advocate voice for raising funds and awareness for the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Brian Harris
Interior Savings Credit UnionCEO
Speaker Bio
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Brian Harris
Interior Savings Credit UnionCEO
Brian Harris is the President & CEO of Interior Savings Credit Union. Mr. Harris has a long history of leading companies through significant growth while helping them adapt to an unprecedented pace of change. As Chief Product Officer at Nets, a leading payments provider based in the Nordics, Harris and his team helped revolutionize the consumer and small business digital experience for more than 150 European financial institutions. Taking a determined customer-centric approach, Harris was able to swiftly position the company as Europe’s largest PayTech Leader with solutions in open banking, card issuing, fraud management and digital lending.
Daniel Johnson
Innovation Credit UnionCEO
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Daniel Johnson
Innovation Credit UnionCEO
Dan Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Credit Union and has over 28 years of experience in the cooperative space. To embrace transformation and disruption, Dan is dedicated to lifelong learning and curiosity! He recently completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Business from MIT Sloan & Columbia Business School. Dan is a Chartered Director (C.Dir.) from McMaster University the Director's College and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Dan believes in community and volunteerism which reflects his personal values and priorities. Dan and his wife Laureen live in Swift Current. Their kids Hunter and Kamryn are attending university and stay active with sports. They all love camping and travelling.
Allison Kasper
Copperfin Credit UnionSVP Corporate Risk
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Allison Kasper
Copperfin Credit UnionSVP Corporate Risk
Allison has been in the credit union system since 2006 holding various senior leadership positions including that of CEO, Superior CU until it’s merger with Copperfin. Her current position is that of SVP Corporate Risk, overseeing ERM, Compliance, PCMLTFA (Proceeds of Crime Money Laundering Terrorist Financing Act) Privacy, and Regulatory to name a few. Copperfin is Northwestern Ontario’s largest locally owned credit union, with over $550 million in assets, and a geographical footprint spanning from the beautiful shores of Lake Superior in Northwestern Ontario all the way to the Manitoba border.
Robert Kelly
Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL)CEO
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Robert Kelly
Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL)CEO
Robert became the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL) CEO in September 2018 after 10 years as NHS Credit Union CEO based in Glasgow. His background is in accountancy and finance, and he has held several executive and non-executive roles across the financial services sector, charitable and housing sectors including organisations such as Glasgow Credit Union, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Morgan Stanley along with a current spell on the Thenue Housing Association Management Committee and as the independent Chair of their Audit and Risk Committee. Robert has extensive experience in strategic and talent development, corporate governance and is firmly committed to the ethos of co-operation and collaboration as a means of empowering businesses, people, and communities alike.
Iwona Kondracka
Saltus UbezpieczeniaDirector of the IT Department
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Iwona Kondracka
Saltus UbezpieczeniaDirector of the IT Department
Steve Laidlaw
Heritage and People's ChoiceDeputy CEO
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Steve Laidlaw
Heritage and People's ChoiceDeputy CEO
Steve Laidlaw Deputy Chief Executive Officer BEc, BCom, FCA, FAICD, AMP (Harvard) Steve has significant people leadership and executive management experience in the retail banking and finance industry. Steve was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of People’s Choice from 2016 until the merger with Heritage Bank in 2023. Before being appointed CEO he spent four years as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer. He previously held the Chief Financial Officer role with Rural Bank, now a part of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank group, for some seven years.
Taeyoung Lee
NACUFOK (National Credit Union Federation of Korea)Legal Counsel, Legal & Regulatory Director
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Taeyoung Lee
NACUFOK (National Credit Union Federation of Korea)Legal Counsel, Legal & Regulatory Director
As legal counsel and director of the legal & regulatory team at NACUFOK(National Credit Union Federation of Korea), Taeyoung Lee is an expert in financial law, with expertise in financial cooperatives and their social value. At NACUFOK, he is head of the legal counsel, and oversees the legislation and amendment of the Credit Unions Act, supervisory regulations, and articles of association. Before NACUFOK, he worked as a public interest lawyer at Duroo Public Interest Lawyers Group, where he provided counsel for the foundation of new credit unions, the financially vulnerable, social enterprises, and social ventures. He received his Ph.D from Yonsei University, with his dissertation on “A Study on the Reform of the Regulatory System of Financial Cooperatives and the Improvement of the Legal System”. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Yonsei’s Graduate School of Law and lecturer at Korea University’s Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and Management, where he teaches subjects on social enterprises, credit unions, sustainable finance and impact investment, financial consumer protection law, etc. His main research interests and passion are in fields related to the relationship between the Framework Act on Cooperatives and the Credit Unions Act, the regulatory system of financial cooperatives, inclusive finance and social finance of credit unions, and ESG.
Brian Link
Mobius OneCEO
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Brian Link
Mobius OneCEO
Brian is CEO of Mobius One – a company that provides cloud-based software to credit unions, other cooperatives and non-profit organizations to enhance the efficiency, impact and confidence in their enterprise risk management, internal audit and regulatory compliance management processes and reporting. Prior to founding Mobius One, Brian was a partner with Ernst & Young, leading enterprise risk management and internal audit initiatives for clients across the globe, with an emphasis upon selecting and implementing supporting technologies.
Lisa Loughery
Brunswick Credit UnionCEO
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Lisa Loughery
Brunswick Credit UnionCEO
Lisa is the CEO of Brunswick Credit Union, which was created on January 1st, 2023, from the partnership and merger of three New Brunswick credit unions - Advance Savings, Bayview, and Progressive Credit Union. Brunswick Credit Union serves members and communities across New Brunswick with 14 branches, three commercial banking centers, and a local contact center. Brunswick also employs over 200 employees and has just over 900 million in assets. Lisa’s 30+ year career in financial services began with Bayview Credit Union where she held several progressive positions over a 14-year period. She went on to work for two large retail banks for 10 years and then rejoined Bayview in 2015 as the CEO. Lisa has extensive experience in personal, commercial, and small business banking and a proven track record of leading change initiatives and projects, including successfully implementing a new core banking platform in 2018 and leading her credit union through a successful merger and the creation of Brunswick Credit Union. Lisa holds her ICD.D designation as well as her Credit Union Executive designation from CUES along with several other certifications and designations.
Stef MacLeod
Copperfin Credit UnionAssociate Vice President of Marketing and Community Investment
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Stef MacLeod
Copperfin Credit UnionAssociate Vice President of Marketing and Community Investment
Stef MacLeod is the Associate Vice President of Marketing and Community Investment at Copperfin Credit Union, in Northwestern Ontario. She oversees the development and implementation of the overall brand, marketing, and community investment strategies. With over 10 years in the field she is experienced in marketing activation, initiatives, and tactics that will enhance the brand image, drive engagement to increase brand awareness, loyalty and satisfaction using a broad range of traditional and digital channels. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Human Resources from Lakehead University.
Stacey Madge
VisaPresident & Country Manager for Visa Canada
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Stacey Madge
VisaPresident & Country Manager for Visa Canada
Stacey Madge has served as President and Country Manager for Visa Canada since April 28, 2017. In her role, she is responsible for leading the Canadian market for Visa. Previously, Ms. Madge was a Senior Vice President in the International Banking Group at Scotiabank, overseeing retail and small business across 30 Latin American and Caribbean markets. Prior to her role at Scotiabank, Ms. Madge was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she was a leader in the areas of retail banking, mergers and acquisitions, and sales force effectiveness. In her early career, she was an analyst for mergers and acquisitions for RBC Dominion Securities. Ms. Madge graduated from Queen’s University and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is based in Toronto.
David Malone
Irish League of Credit UnionsCEO
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David Malone
Irish League of Credit UnionsCEO
David Malone is the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish League of Credit Unions. David has overseen the implementation of the ILCU’s transformation programme repositioning the ILCU as the leading advocacy and representative body for credit unions on the island of Ireland. He passionately believes in using collaboration to unlock the full potential of credit unions in Ireland to become the primary financial services provider of choice.
Damian Mascoll
Barbados Workers Union Co-operative Credit Union Limited (BWUCCU)Assistant Treasurer
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Damian Mascoll
Barbados Workers Union Co-operative Credit Union Limited (BWUCCU)Assistant Treasurer
Damian is an experienced marketer with a demonstrated history of working in the Insurance and telecommunications industries. He is skilled in Negotiation, Budgeting, Sales, and Event Management. He is a strong business development professional with a Certificate of Proficiency in General Insurance from the Insurance Institute of Barbados, an Associate of the Life Management Institute, and an MSc. Management and Marketing and, he is currently perusing Doctoral Studies in Marketing. Damian is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, where he lectures in Marketing Management, Services Marketing and leads tutorials in Principles of Marketing. He currently serves as Director of the Barbados Workers Union Co-operative where he chairs the subcommittee on Youth Engagement & Marketing and holds the position of Assistant Treasurer.
Elissa McCarter LaBorde
World Council of Credit UnionsPresident and Chief Executive Officer
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Elissa McCarter LaBorde
World Council of Credit UnionsPresident and Chief Executive Officer
Shelley McDade
Sunshine Coast Credit UnionCEO
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Shelley McDade
Sunshine Coast Credit UnionCEO
With a financial services career spanning over 35 years in the B.C. credit union system, Shelley McDade is currently CEO at Sunshine Coast Credit Union, an innovative credit union holding close to one billion dollars in assets. Shelley is the recently elected Chair of Central 1 Credit Union’s (Central 1) Board of Directors, following a variety of positions held over the past six years including chair of the Human Resources Committee and director on the Technology and Governance Committee. In addition to sitting on Co-operators Board as a member of the Human Resources and Sustainability committees, Shelley contributes in the role of mentor through the Director Mentorship Program. She also serves on the boards of Wealth Management CUSO Strategies and Sunshine Coast Insurance Services.
Karen Miner
International Centre for Co-operative Management, Saint Mary's UniversityManaging Director
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Karen Miner
International Centre for Co-operative Management, Saint Mary's UniversityManaging Director
Karen Miner is an expert in values-based business with broad experience across sectors and industries. For much of Karen’s career, she worked coast to coast across North America as a management consultant with large consulting organizations through to small boutique firms, always with a focus on business and sustainability. During this time, she developed a deep understanding of the complex and evolving nature of environmental, social, and economic systems. Over the past decade plus, Karen’s expertise has evolved to be most focused on the management and governance of values-based businesses, with an emphasis on co-operatives, credit unions, and mutual (plus, the broader social solidarity economy). Since 2012, Karen has held the Managing Director position at the International Centre for Co-operative Management (Saint Mary’s University, Canada). The focus of this career chapter is on developing global relationships and networks, combined with sharing and exchanging knowledge on how to build people-centred economies and societies. A key contribution to the credit union sector was her involvement in co-founding and launching the CanadaDE (development education) program in 2017, and she obtained her I-CUDE designation at the World Credit Union Conference in 2019. Great governance is a professional passion: she is a certified director; researches, writes, and teaches on governance; and has served on business, non-profit, and charity Boards in organizations as varied as outdoor retail, financial services, energy efficiency, environmental advocacy, and fair trade certification. She currently serves on the boards of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada and EfficiencyOne (an energy efficiency enterprise). She formerly sat on the board of CUA (credit union) for eight years, serving as Chair for two years. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-miner/
Panya Monford
World Council of Credit UnionsAssistant General Counsel of International Advocacy
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Panya Monford
World Council of Credit UnionsAssistant General Counsel of International Advocacy
Panya Monford currently serves as Assistant General Counsel for International Advocacy, where she engages in advocacy on behalf of credit unions worldwide before the various international standard setting bodies, such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Financial Action Task Force and others. Panya has over ten years of experience as a consumer financial services attorney specializing in enforcement, litigation, regulatory and compliance matters involving various financial institutions, including banks, credit unions and other credit lending institutions. Panya has considerable experience advising her clients on various issues related to financial services, including but not limited to consumer protection, anti-money laundering, contracts and international law. Panya rounds out her legal experience with 14 years of Board level experience at not-for-profit organizations, including the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, where she provides legal advice, drafts and reviews contracts, oversees all corporate governance issues and manages the legal team. Panya holds her Juris Doctor from The Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.
Adam Morawiec
Saltus UbezpieczeniaRegional Sales Manager for Key Accounts
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Adam Morawiec
Saltus UbezpieczeniaRegional Sales Manager for Key Accounts
Associated with the cooperative movement in Poland for 15 years. Specialist in managing a distributed sales network - responsible for sales from the beginning of his career. His strengths are analysis and optimization of sales processes taking care of compliance with regulations and procedures. Experienced manager focusing on the development of subordinate employees. Winner of many sales awards and also decorated with a medal: "meritorious for the development of the cooperative movement in Poland.
Kris Mork
Copperfin Credit UnionVP Operations
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Kris Mork
Copperfin Credit UnionVP Operations
Kris joined the credit union system just over 12yrs ago with Superior Credit Union, which eventually merged with Copperfin in 2013. His current role is VP of Operations, while past roles have included Commercial Lender, Director of Project Management, and VP Process & Systems. Kris currently oversees the back-office operations for Copperfin. This includes all lending and investment administration, organizational project management and all Information Systems & Technology. Kris has also been the primary internal champion for LEAN process improvement.
Edward Olson
MNPPartner, Enterprise Risk Services & Leader, Environmental, Social & Governance
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Edward Olson
MNPPartner, Enterprise Risk Services & Leader, Environmental, Social & Governance
Edward Olson is Leader of MNP’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practice and Leader of the Firm’s Enterprise Risk Services (ERS) practice for the BC Okanagan region. With more than two decades of Canadian and international experience in both public practice and industry, Edward delivers practical and meaningful business advice to clients in both the private and public sectors. Edward helps his clients with ESG sustainability awareness and adoption, including identification, measurement, management and reporting of financially material issues. He also provides enterprise risk management, internal audit, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, process efficiency, performance improvement and value for money audits. Edward works directly with executive leadership teams, boards, internal audit and compliance departments, as well as with industry regulators. He has deep industry experience in utilities, financial services, educational services, the public sector and government and government agencies. Edward earned a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm Co-op) in accounting from the University of Alberta in 1998. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. Edward is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE). He holds a Global ESG Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D) from Global Competent Boards.
Ayo Owodunni
Prime Target ConsultingFacilitator
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Ayo Owodunni
Prime Target ConsultingFacilitator
Ayo Owodunni is a management consultant and facilitator who brings over 10 years of experience in coaching, training and strategic direction to the table. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Ayo aims to help enterprise-level clients achieve big-picture goals while focusing on diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding in the workplace. His approach combines subject matter expertise, personal stories and just the right amount of humor all intended to break barriers and facilitate better communication between people at all levels of an organization. Ayo's passion and natural talent for connecting with audiences shine through in everything he does. His impressive client list spans a variety of industries and includes renowned companies such as Spotify, Canada Life, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, CIBC, TMX Group and Hydro One to name a few. In addition, Ayo shares his immigrant experience and offers tips on how others can establish themselves in Canada through radio show segments on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and CityNews Kitchener. He is the author of the book, Values, Culture, Period - Redefining the Value of Values to Drive Business Results and Inclusive Leadership: The Immigrant View - Helping immigrants thrive and soar in your organization. He is also the co-creator of The Ring: 4 Steps to transforming your organization through the power of your values & culture. Ayo Owodunni is a management consultant who brings over 10 years of experience in coaching, training and strategic direction to enterprise level clients looking to achieve big-picture goals while also focusing on diversity and inclusion. His approach combines expertise, personal stories and humor-all intended to break barriers and facilitate communication. As a result, Ayo's client list includes renowned companies such as Spotify, Canada Life, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, CIBC, TMX Group and Hydro One, to name a few. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Ayo also shares his immigrant experience and helpful advice through radio segments on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and CityNews Kitchener. Upon immigrating to Canada in 2016, Ayo overcame many challenges before finding his stride-challenges he today helps others avoid. He learned something new every step along his path to success and would later incorporate these pearls into his innovative training programs. Ayo holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and a Life Coach certification. He serves on several organization boards, includ
Armand Parvazi
New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit UnionChief Administrative & Development Officer
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Armand Parvazi
New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit UnionChief Administrative & Development Officer
Armand is an accomplished strategist and former consultant having worked with political campaigns, small businesses, and financial institutions. With experience in digital strategy, marketing, sales, employee training, and corporate strategy, his goal is to increase consumer conversion while expanding operational efficiencies.
André Pawan
Libro Credit UnionManager Purpose Integration
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André Pawan
Libro Credit UnionManager Purpose Integration
A multi award winning social innovator, André has 20 years of experience in community wellbeing and transformations and is a facilitator of multi-stakeholder collaborations that are working towards social and ecological justice. André is a Collaborationist work on various projects, including: Carolinian Canada - supporting the development of southern Ontario’s only conservation finance coalition, with Libro Credit Union - as the first person of colour on the Board of Directors, and as a co-parent with 6 year old son. Co-designing solutions to shared challenges is where André likes to infuse his magic, and thrives in cross-sectoral partnerships between government, academic, arts, business, finance and nonprofit organizations.
Fernanda Pittelkow
SicrediDiversity and Inclusion Analyst
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Fernanda Pittelkow
SicrediDiversity and Inclusion Analyst
MBA in Project Management, Specialized in Active Methodologies and Digital Information and Communication Technologies in Education, and Graduated in Business Pedagogy. Experience in the development of multidisciplinary teams, working for 20 years in educational institutions and corporate education areas of Brazilian organizations. Experience in managing educational projects, focusing on inclusion, diversity and equity; planning solutions and developing programs and learning objects for Sicredi credit unions.
Andy Poprawa
Strategic Advisor and Director
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Andy Poprawa
Strategic Advisor and Director
Andy is a former regulator with 35 years' experience in senior regulatory, governance, financial, risk management and leadership roles. He served as President and CEO of the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario (DICO), and as a senior regulator with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). He is also a co-founder and long-time chair of the International Credit Union Regulators Network. Andy currently serves on a number of boards, works with credit unions, and provides strategic advice to regulators around the world.
Tim Prescott
AvisoSVP and Head of Asset Management
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Tim Prescott
AvisoSVP and Head of Asset Management
Tim Prescott is SVP and Head of Asset Management at Aviso, a leading wealth services supplier for the Canadian financial industry committed to powering businesses that empower investors. Tim drives investment and product strategy, including the product development roadmap, across all business lines to support the growth of Aviso. He also heads NEI Investments, a longstanding responsible investment leader, and is a member of Aviso’s Executive Committee. Before joining Aviso, Tim headed the wealth distribution business for one of Canada’s largest insurers, executing the wealth strategy, overseeing platform technology implementation, and leading sales teams in support of 4,000 advisors. Previous experience includes retail and institutional sales roles at two of Canada’s largest fund companies, and a decade-long tenure at a big-five bank in increasingly senior management roles in wealth management, and retail and commercial banking. Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, with a major in Environment and Resource Management. Tim has been a member of various steering committees for the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and is a long-serving member of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Headwaters Healthcare Foundation in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.
Andrew Price
World Council of Credit UnionsSenior Vice President of Advocacy and General Counsel
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Andrew Price
World Council of Credit UnionsSenior Vice President of Advocacy and General Counsel
Andrew “Andy” T. Price currently serves as Senior Vice President of Advocacy for World Council of Credit Unions. He leads WOCCU's international advocacy work on behalf of credit unions worldwide before the various international standard setting bodies such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision the Financial Action Task Force, and others. Andy combines years of diverse experience in the credit union industry having served as General Counsel for First Commerce Credit Union, engaged in advocacy and lobbying for credit unions at both the Credit Union National Association and the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, and worked for the prudential bank, credit union, and finance regulator in the State of Florida (Office of Financial Regulation) where he also served as a Cabinet Aide to Comptroller General Robert F. Milligan. He holds his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida. Additionally, he is certified as a Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Specialist, a Credit Union Compliance Expert, and a Credit Union Enterprise Risk Management Expert.
Claudia Richard
Community Savings Credit UnionVP, External Affairs and Communications
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Claudia Richard
Community Savings Credit UnionVP, External Affairs and Communications
Claudia Richard is the Vice President of External Affairs & Communications at Community Savings Credit Union, a purpose-driven BC financial institution. She oversees a portfolio including communications, government affairs, community relations, and marketing. Claudia leads the team that was recognized with a gold and a silver Canadian Marketing Association award in 2022 for its integrated marketing campaigns. Prior to entering the credit union industry in 2022, Claudia spent over twelve years’ leading global public relations, purpose and social media campaigns for clients based in the UK and North America. Claudia held a senior position at H+K’s creative hub in London, UK, developing campaigns for clients at major events including the Geneva Motor Show, New York Climate Week, and GE’s annual meetings. To add to her list of career highlights, she has also fed the Dalai Lama a cookie – yes, you read that correctly. Claudia holds a Bachelor of Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of British Columbia with Academic All-Canadian honors. A proud UBC Thunderbirds alumni, Claudia is a former national-level 400m hurdler and is passionate about all things sport.
Mike Schilling
Community Savings Credit UnionCEO
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Mike Schilling
Community Savings Credit UnionCEO
Mike Schilling is President & CEO of Community Savings Credit Union, a purpose-driven financial institution committed to building a better BC for all workers. Community Savings is the largest provider of banking services to BC’s labour movement and the BC cannabis industry. Mike is passionate about championing workers’ rights, mental health, financial inclusion, and the future of the BC’s thriving credit unions. Mike brings a global perspective to cooperative finance with a career that has spanned the United Kingdom, Singapore, and India. Previously he was COO-Asia Pacific for Compliance, Barclays in Mumbai, India and COO-Asia Pacific & Head of Business Operations in Singapore. Mike holds a B.Sc. (Hons), Mathematics from the University of Sheffield and an ACA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Simon Scott
First Credit Union (New Zealand)CEO
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Simon Scott
First Credit Union (New Zealand)CEO
Simon Scott spent 25 years as a lawyer in private practice before being appointed CEO of First Credit Union (New Zealand) in 2018 following 10 years’ service on the FCU Board. He has been a member of FCU since he was 5! He has previously served as the Chair of New Zealand’s national CU association and its insurance company, CUI Limited. He is currently a Director of Finzsoft Solutions Limited, a core banking provider owned by FCU and Police Credit Union (NZ) that provides services to credit unions, mutuals and other commercial parties in both NZ and Australia. He also serves on First Insurance Limited, which provides funeral and loan protection insurance for CU members in NZ, along with some other boards as a consultant from his former legal partnership. In the last 5 years he has led FCU through several transfers of smaller credit unions to FCU, and the implementation of a new card payment provider.
Jessica Sharon
Pelican State Credit UnionAVP Financial Outreach
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Jessica Sharon
Pelican State Credit UnionAVP Financial Outreach
Jessica Sharon has led Pelican’s financial education and outreach efforts for the past fifteen years. In her role as AVP of Financial Outreach, she orchestrates the implementation of Pelican’s adult and youth financial wellness programs including three school branches. As a nationally certified credit counselor, she leads a team of nine other counselors offering financial literacy workshops, one-on-one counseling, youth education programs and community financial outreach. Their award-winning education programs have reached over 30,000 individuals since its inception in 2007. In addition to financial outreach, Jessica also serves as the grant coordinator for Pelican’s CDFI grant programs and leads Pelican’s advocacy efforts in Louisiana as chair of the Louisiana Credit Union League (LCUL) Baton Rouge Chapter Advocacy Committee, and nationally as a member of the LCUL CULAC Committee. She is the President of Pelican’s charitable foundation, SOAR, focused on offering loans to extremely high-risk communities combating payday and other predator lenders. She is also a regular contributor and collaborator for financial topics on Pelican’s blog Pelican State of Mind. Jessica received her BA in Marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University, MBA from Louisiana State University and is a certified Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE). She is an active member of many professional organizations such as the Louisiana Jump$tart Financial Literacy Coalition, the Alliance for Economic Inclusion, the Junior League of Baton Rouge, and the Louisiana State DECA Association.
Mani Sheppard-Luangkhot
Assiniboine Credit UnionManager, Financial Access Programs
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Mani Sheppard-Luangkhot
Assiniboine Credit UnionManager, Financial Access Programs
Mani Sheppard-Luangkhot is the Manager, Financial Access Programs at Assiniboine Credit Union. Mani plays a key role in demonstrating ACU’s commitment to financial inclusion by implementing, managing and continuously improving financial access programs and partnerships to deliver affordable financial products and services, including financial education, to underserved households. Mani is the spokesperson for Each One, Teach One Financial Literacy program on behalf of the Canadian Credit Union sector. With her lived experiences/knowledge, Mani has made a career and a life mission in serving racialized minorities to get the support they deserve.
Ewa Sierzynska
USAID/WOCCU Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in UkraineChief of Party
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Ewa Sierzynska
USAID/WOCCU Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in UkraineChief of Party
Chief of Party Credit for Agriculture Producers (“CAP”) Project World Council of Credit Unions (2016 – to date) • Over 12 years of management experience, including 5 years as COP of USAID-funded Credit for Agricultural Producers Project in Ukraine and 6 months as acting COP for USAID-funded OPIC Loan Guarantee Facility in Egypt. • Board member experience for two microfinance organizations in BiH and Egypt; • Over 15 years of experience as a technical leader providing technical assistance and monitoring in micro and agribusiness finance, Micro and SME lending and loan guarantee programs for financial institutions, economic development and financial inclusion for marginalized women in conflict-affected areas. • Fluent in Polish and English; working proficiency in Russian. • Extensive country experience in ECA, MENA and Africa, amongst others in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Kosovo, Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan as well as Rwanda, Nigeria and DR Congo. Education Post-Graduate Certificate, Community Based Microfinance and Member Owned Institutions, St. Francis Xavier University, Cody International Institute, Antigonish, Canada, 2010 M.A. and B.A. with Distinction, Finance and Banking, University of Economics, Institute of Economy, Krakow, Poland, 2002
Alisa Stetsyshyn
Worldwide Foundation for Credit UnionsGrant Management Consultant
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Alisa Stetsyshyn
Worldwide Foundation for Credit UnionsGrant Management Consultant
Communications Lead Consultant World Council of Credit Unions (March 2022 – to date) Grant Management Consultant Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (June 2022 – to date) • Seven relief programs implementation coordinated to support Ukrainian credit unions and their members since Russia’s full-scale invasion under the WFCU Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund activities • Over 5 years of experience with Ukrainian credit union sector, including cooperation with credit union managers, staff and members, representatives of national associations and regulators • 5 years of work with the USAID Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in Ukraine, implemented by the World Council of Credit Unions, including translation of regulations, legal acts, interpretation at high-level meetings for the credit union sector stakeholders and communications related activities focused on boosting credit union image in Ukraine • Over 7 years of translation and interpretation experience between English, French and Ukrainian (legal, economics, finance, accounting, agriculture) • Fluent English, French and German Education M.A. and B.A., Foreign Languages, Theory & Practice of Translation/Interpretation, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2014 Philologist, Lecturer/Teacher of the French language and literature, the English and German languages, Translator/Interpreter of the French and English language Bachelor of Law, Ukrainian Legislation (including Civil Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law), International Law, Theory & History of Government and Law, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2014
Volodymyr Sydorovskyy
Credit Union “Anisia”, UkraineCEO
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Volodymyr Sydorovskyy
Credit Union “Anisia”, UkraineCEO
CEO at Credit Union “Anisia”, Ukraine (November 1995 – to date) Board Chair at All-Ukrainian Credit Union Association (September 2016– to date) Board Member of World Council of Ukranian Coopertives (May 2018– to date) • 28 years of credit union management in the west of Ukraine (Lviv Oblast): 10 branches, 50 employees • Over 100,000 loans disbursed to the credit union members under my leadership • Over UAH 500 million of loans disbursed and deposits raised under my management • Leading the credit union participation in all support programs of the WFCU through the Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund • Leading the credit union partnership with the USAID Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in Ukraine, implemented by the World Council of Credit Unions since 2016 • Leading the credit union cooperation with many international technical assistance projects implemented by WOCCU, the Canadian Cooperative Association, the Association of German Cooperative Banks, the European Union • Leading the credit union participation in the target programs “Financing Energy-Saving Technologies”, “Liquidity Fund” (for financing farmers) • Implemented the Grameen group lending model in cooperation with the Whole Planet Foundation in Anisia – unique example in Ukraine • Initiated the foundation of the Ukrainian United Credit Union • Repeatedly elected the Board Chair the central credit union and the association of credit unions Education M.A. Economics of Entrepreneurship, Lviv Polytechnic University, 1977 Bachelor of Law, Industrial and Civil Construction, Lviv Construction Institute, 1974
Abraham Tachjian
Department of Finance, CanadaCanada’s Open Banking Lead
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Abraham Tachjian
Department of Finance, CanadaCanada’s Open Banking Lead
Abraham Tachjian is Canada’s open banking lead, named by the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Associate Minister of Finance, in March 2022. Mr. Tachjian has extensive experience related to open banking in Canada and internationally. He was a Director in the Financial Services practice at PwC Canada. He helped found Mox Bank, a new digital bank in Hong Kong, and was Director of Digital Banking of Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore where he was responsible for the implementation of emerging technologies. Mr. Tachjian earned a B.A. from Concordia University, an LL.B in civil law from Université de Montréal, a J.D. in common law from University of Ottawa and a certificate in Chinese Law from China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Barreau du Québec.
Jake Tyler
GliaProduct Marketing - Glia Virtual Assistants
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Jake Tyler
GliaProduct Marketing - Glia Virtual Assistants
Jake Tyler works on the Glia Virtual Assistant team at Glia, a company that is reinventing how financial institutions support their customers in a digital world. Jake was the Co-founder and CEO at Finn AI, a market leader in AI powered virtual assistants for banks and credit unions, which Glia acquired in June of 2022. At Glia, Jake now focuses on helping financial institutions leverage intelligent AI automation in their sales and support interactions, to help make banking easier and more convenient to use.
Ruben Ugarte
Ruben UgarteDecision Strategist
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Ruben Ugarte
Ruben UgarteDecision Strategist
Ruben Ugarte is the go-to expert in decisions and the author of Bulletproof Decisions and the Data Mirage. He helps executives at the most innovative medium, and large enterprises make better decisions to dramatically boost performance, increase profitability, and make their teams world-class. He has done this across five continents and in three languages. His ideas have helped hundreds of thousands of people level up their decision-making.
Eli Vazquez
BFSFCUCEO
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Eli Vazquez
BFSFCUCEO
Eli Vazquez has been CEO of Washington, DC based BFSFCU since 2013. He leads all aspects of this complex $6.6 billion credit union that serves the world-wide staff and families of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. He has led teams in continuous service improvements, innovation, and digital transformations. Eli has over 25 years of experience in governance and senior leadership roles with credit unions. Prior to BFSFCU he served for eight years on the board of directors of a multi-billion-dollar credit union and later for seven years in diverse senior leadership roles. He holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Chemical Engineering. Eli is an experienced, active, and passionate supporter of credit unions and their mission.
Atul Verde
Servus Credit UnionChief Information and Payments Officer
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Atul Verde
Servus Credit UnionChief Information and Payments Officer
Atul Varde is the Chief Information and Payments Officer at Servus Credit Union, headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Mr. Varde provides strategic technology management and payments business leadership to the organization while also being accountable for the Government Relations area. Prior to his current position, Atul served in CIO roles at Vancity Credit Union in Vancouver and also Affinity Credit Union in Saskatoon. Earlier in his career, he founded and managed a successful financial technology company. In addition to financial services, his overall IT career has covered an eclectic mix of domains including nuclear engineering, post-secondary education, and healthcare. Atul serves as a Director on the Board of CUCC, the continued entity of the erstwhile Credit Union Central of Canada and one of the Financial Institution shareholders of Interac. Atul has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, with continuing professional education from the University of California, Berkeley - Extension Division and the Wharton School.
Clairton Walter
Sicredi ConfederationHead of Regulatory Affairs
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Clairton Walter
Sicredi ConfederationHead of Regulatory Affairs
Leads Legal, Compliance, Internal Controls, Governance Advisory and Internal Audit areas. Represents Sicredi in the Technical Group of the National Credit Advisory Council (CECO) in the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB) and in the Technical Committee of the Credit Cooperativism Guarantee Fund (FGCoop). Actively acted in changing the new legal framework for credit unions. He is a lawyer and has been work at Sicredi for 23 years. He is also postgraduate in Economic and Business Law from Fundação Getúlio Vargas.
Corlinda Wooden
Unitus Community Credit UnionSVP/Chief Retail Officer
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Corlinda Wooden
Unitus Community Credit UnionSVP/Chief Retail Officer
Corlinda Wooden is the SVP/Chief Retail Officer at Unitus Community Credit Union and a passionate leader of the credit union movement who specializes in leadership development and pushing innovative approaches to drive bottom line results. Corlinda is actively involved with the Hispanic Advisory Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee at Unitus and led the credit union to achieve the Juntos Avanzamos designation and the launch of the Azie app to support the Urban League of Portland. Her passion for helping people succeed, coupled with her creativity and 25 years of experience in the financial industry, including leading the Incubator programs at Filene Research Institute, have helped the teams she has worked with reach new heights.
Eleonora Zgonjanin Petrovikj
FULM Saving HouseCEO
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Eleonora Zgonjanin Petrovikj
FULM Saving HouseCEO
Eleonora Zgonjanin Petrovic, shortly Eli, from Republic of North Macedonia. Working for FULM (model credit union) since 2000 as CEO. As part of WOCCU project, she started to established credit union movement from the ground, as she is saying “ from savings in passbooks to savings in mob app” Economist, studying at university, graduated from CUNA Management at University Wisconsin for the period of 2000-2003.She is DEducator UK from 2005. Since 2009, she is MBA graduated from Sheffield University. Today she is PhD student on Information Communication Technology in Slovenia, EU. Working in international credit union movement, she has been part of the world wide conferences, workshops, forums from Hong Kong to San Francisco. She has attended over 20 professional courses in different field of expertise that are necessary for successful management of financial institutions. Most of the courses have been performed from well known institution as, Bank academy, Germany and IFC. She is member of Macedonian Banking association and President of Supervisory Board of Alliance of Microfinance organizations in RN Macedonia. In 2007 in Calgary, Canada, she was WYCUP winner. She was awarded with Certificate of Appreciation as a woman leader from USA Embassy. Been awarded as of top 10 business woman of the year 2007, was one of her orientations for providing better access to finance for woman and youngs. She received award for Overseas Development Educator from the EU and Africa 2012/13, Liverpool UK. She is holding Recognition award from USAID 2004 and 2014. Since foundation in 2008, she is part of the European network for credit unions in Brussels. And last but not the least, she is a proud founder-member of GWLN and she established first sister society in Europe. Happy Mum of one son Martin 11 years and loved wife of Oliver
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