ACE25: CEO Panel Talks the Future of Credit Union Leadership
Attendees returned to Center Stage! on Day Two of ACE25 for a Friday morning focused on leadership, generational changes and the evolving future of the credit union movement.
MCUL President/CEO Patty Corkery welcomed the crowd back, reflecting on the momentum of Day One and the remarkable generosity shown by credit union professionals throughout the event. She proudly announced that between the golf outing, fun run, Corks for a Cause and both the silent and live auctions, ACE25 attendees raised $118,500 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“Thank you all for your generosity and support,” said Corkery.
Looking ahead to the day’s programming, Corkery promised another strong lineup, including a keynote from renowned generational researcher Kim Lear, but first shifted focus to the opening session: a high-impact panel of Michigan credit union CEOs shaping the industry’s future through their leadership.
CEO Panel: The Future of Credit Union Leadership
Corkery introduced the panel:
- Chrissy Siders, TRUE Community Credit Union
- Carrie Iafrate, Members First Credit Union
- Jeff Benson, CASE Credit Union
- Scott McFarland, Honor Credit Union
The conversation explored the evolving role of leadership in today’s credit union environment, touching on themes from workforce transformation to member experience and emerging technologies.
One of the morning’s central themes was the importance of meeting the expectations of a new generation of members. The panelists discussed how younger consumers are entering a financial world full of options, and that credit unions must ease access, eliminate friction and reimagine onboarding to remain competitive with fintechs and big banks.
“People want to feel financially well,” said McFarland. “And that can mean a lot of different things. Our job is to keep asking: how do we help them achieve that?”
Iafrate spoke about the connection between team culture and member growth, sharing that Members First invests heavily in its people. “We want to foster a culture where people love what they do and who they do it with,” she said. “When that happens, the care flows right through to the members.”
On the topic of talent retention, Benson emphasized the need for employees to feel valued and to see clear career pathways. “At CASE, we’ve built a culture of celebration and incentives that help our team feel recognized while staying focused on growth,” he said. “Training is part of that; we offer a lot of it.”
Siders highlighted the need to rethink how and where work gets done. “It’s about realigning work based on people’s skills, not just their titles,” she explained. “And physically, work doesn’t always have to happen in a cubicle. It can be collaborative, it can be flexible.”
The conversation also addressed the persistent challenge of fraud prevention, where panelists agreed the human element is often the weakest link. McFarland noted, “Fraud is a moving target. That’s why it’s essential we train our staff to help our members recognize and respond to threats.” Iafrate added, “It’s not a question of if, but when. We have to stay ready.”
As AI continues to evolve, the panel explored how their credit unions are adapting to and adopting artificial intelligence. Siders shared that TRUE Community expects executives to be familiar with AI use cases, and the credit union is hiring accordingly. Iafrate emphasized the importance of vendor partnerships, encouraging credit unions to ask how partners are using AI and what they can offer. Benson pointed to policy and training, saying that “it’s one thing to have policies in place, but your team needs to be trained to use AI the right way.” McFarland described how AI is helping team members “free up time to do more of the work they actually enjoy.”
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