Do You Have It In You? Rethinking the Revolutionary Role of Leadership

Joe Sullivan, Market Insights

This powerful and engaging presentation will challenge ideas and assumptions about leadership. Diverging from the norm is usually frowned upon within the credit union industry, yet it is often unconventional behavior that has shifted stagnant organizations, improved the bottom line and propelled the industry’s most respected business men and women into the spotlight. Join this session for industry-specific ideas for creating a culture where impassioned people work together for growth and success.

The 7 Principles of Highly Effective CUs: How a Cooperative, Purpose-Drive CU Can Find Solutions to Grow & Thrive

Speaker TBD

In this interactive session you will not only learn about credit unions doing principle centered initiatives, you will learn the positive economic results of these initiatives for your credit union’s members, community and the credit union itself. In addition, you will get to participate in brainstorming solutions for your credit union or another credit union represented by a participant in this session.

The 10 Essential Drivers of Member Loyalty: Where to Focus for CU Growth

Neil Goldman, GCS, Inc.

As credit union leaders, you need answers to help propel your institutions solidly “back into the black”. From the members’ perspective, this session will provide the focus, knowledge and tools to make that a business reality. You will learn the three fundamental routes to distinction and growth, the ten key drivers of member loyalty and the loyalty sweet spot for credit unions. Neil will analyze the tough questions such as where must credit unions focus, specifically and universally, to exceed expectations, drive word of mouth and loyalty and grow.

After the Fall: How Members Are Climbing Back from the Financial Crisis & What You Can Do to Help

Heather Thiltgen, VP, Consumer Marketing, CUNA Mutual Group

The collapse of the financial markets has permanently changed your members’ financial DNA. It’s not just the loss of personal wealth; the collapse has also undermined everyone’s confidence in personal financial strategies, employer-sponsored plans and social welfare programs. Although the long-term effects of the financial crisis are still under debate, the changes will be important to observe and understand, especially with the hardworking middle Americans and retiree members. This session will examine what your members are thinking about, and what they’re doing differently with their money.

Health Care Reform: Maneuvering the Compliance Maze

Brad Pricer, CUNA Mutual Group

The new health care reform law will lead to significant changes in the benefits landscape and compliance requirements for credit unions. The rules and expectations for employers are complex, and it can be challenging and risky to navigate them on your own. This session will provide you with an overview of the expectations this law places on employers, the risks of being out of compliance and practical steps to meet obligations the new law requires. You will leave armed with the tools to assure timely compliance, grandfathering provisions and options to consider in this new environment.

The Competitive Opportunity for Small Business Services

Leigh Sherman, Cornerstone Advisors

While many credit unions have ventured into business services and member business lending over the past several years, our industry’s focus has been centered too much on larger commercial real estate transactions and not enough on core small business relationships. In this session, you will receive a "new playbook” for developing services for small business customers and growing these member relationships.  Leigh will discuss the product offerings, pricing strategies, delivery channels and internal staffing needs you can put in place to contribute to your credit unions’ future growth and establish a strong competitive position in the small business services arena.

Board of Directors & Governance: Let’s Steal Some Good Ideas from Other Industries!

Bob Hoel, Filene Research Institute

This session will provide you with the results of a new 2011 Filene Research Institute study of boards of directors and governance in corporations. Similarities in corporate and credit union governance issues and challenges are more numerous than generally understood. Corporate boards have come up with some great ideas. Furthermore, independent researchers have carefully studied many governance and board issues in private-sector, for-profit corporations. You will leave this session with actionable take-aways that you can implement in your credit union today.

Mobile Technology: What’s Working Today

Mark Sievewright, FiServ

This session will explore financial institutions' mobile technology successes and provide you with insight on how they are using mobile technology to reach current and new customers. You will leave with best practices being used today in mobile technology and find out what’s working and what’s not.

A View to the Future of CUs With Gen Y

Credit Union Panel: Ronaldo Hardy, LaCapitol FCU; Matt Vance, Industrial CU; Amy Stanton, Connex CU and Jen Shefner, Columbia CU
Moderator: Brent Dixon, Filene Research Institute

With numbers estimated as high as 70 million, Gen Y is the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. As credit unions compete for available talent, the needs, desires and attitudes of this generation can’t be ignored. What are the advantages of hiring Gen Y employees? How can you attract young professionals and shape them into future leaders of the credit union system? Join several young credit union leaders for a lively discussion on how they are influencing their credit unions, and what they believe is needed to make credit unions more relevant to their generation.

Lending Regulations Update: What, Again?!

Bill Klewin, CUNA Mutual Group

Changes and additions to regulations will occupy a large chunk of your staff’s time for the foreseeable future. This session will discuss what those changes are and what you will need to do to implement the regulatory revisions at your credit union.

Business Services Risk Management

Ken Otsuka, CUNA Mutual Group

As credit unions expand service offerings to attract business accounts, their risk exposures also increase. By conducting due diligence before introducing new services, credit unions can craft prudent policies and procedures to help minimize these risk exposures. This session will cover new account verification procedures, remote deposit capture for businesses, front-line check acceptance procedures, an overview of business account kiting schemes, risk of dual signature checks, online banking for business members, wire transfers and ACH origination.

Social Media & Social Marketing: How to Use It to Grow

Kelly McDonald, McDonald Consulting

Everyone has heard of social media and social marketing, and most everyone knows at least a little something about Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But there is tremendous confusion about how to use these tools for business marketing. Sure, you may use Facebook to share your vacation pictures with friends, but how are you supposed to use it to market your business? And, what kind of "tweets" is a company supposed to send out on Twitter? And more importantly, why? This session will focus on how social media and marketing can be your new best friend. But you've got to learn the ropes of how to do it effectively and correctly to truly reach new & existing members with relevance. Attend this session to cover social media marketing from A-Z.

When Sales & Service Cultures Collide, Amazing Things Can Happen

CU Panel: Sonya McDonald, Randolph-Brooks FCU; Jim Delyea, Gesa CU; Michelle Trekas, Red Canoe CU; and Minh McKenzie, VP, Sales & Service, Community First CU
Moderator: Angela Prestil, CUNA

Credit unions are deeply rooted in service and selling is traditionally not a core strategy. As competition for financial services continues to heat up, credit unions are walking a tight wire between maintaining member trust, and expanding product relationships. The right mix of service and sales skills can be a win-win, increasing your credit union’s potential for generating non-interest income while filling a void in a member’s product portfolio. How can you foster a sales culture at your credit union? How can you get buy-in from leadership and front line staff? Attend this session to hear from several credit unions who have successfully integrated sales strategies into their operations.

Digital Culture & Strategy

Brent Dixon, Filene Research Institute

As the line between our real lives and our virtual lives grays, so too has our understanding of the digital culture that is thus being created. Brent will explore the evolving definition of connection, what’s in a meme, how viral becomes viral, and why credit unions should care. You’ve learned what social media is, now learn the strategies behind it.

Under the Sheets: What’s Hidden in Your Financial Statements?

George Hofheimer, Filene Research Institute & Mike Higgins, Jr., Mike Higgins and Associates

Too often, strategic plans are put together with a pre-determined financial objective in place. Unfortunately, the tactics to reach an arbitrary return on assets (ROA) target can have unintended consequences. A strategic plan needs to be more thoughtful than that. It’s important that you study your credit union’s balance sheet mix and non-interest income production to understand how powerful, and sustainable its Net Revenue Engine is and where opportunities for improvement exist. Lastly, credit unions need a sound set of asset quality guidelines to make sure credit losses don’t deplete excessive amounts of capital. This session, based on a forthcoming Filene Research study, will walk you through the process and discuss the benefits for your particular institution.

Constructing a New Vision for Lending

David Polet, CUNA Mutual Group

Lending challenges are central to many credit unions. How can you generate more opportunities to lend and what dangers are on the horizon? As fast as the regulatory environment is changing how we l end, so is the social and cultural environment. How should your credit union respond? In this presentation, David will look at a number of trends and influences on how we perceive where the lending environment is and where it should go. You will be taken through the review of a number of recent research studies and learn how to piece them together to construct a new vision for lending.

Top Fraud Trends in 2011 – Is Your CU Prepared to Prevent Today’s Top Fraud Threats?

Ann Davidson, CUNA Mutual Group

How much is fraud costing your credit union? The bad news is fraud is not going away. Every credit union and credit union member is exposed to fraud threats today. Are you prepared to defend against these top fraud threats, including cards, ACH, wires, mobile payments and more? During this session we will share the industry top fraud threats, criminal behavior, how to identify the weakest links and key defenses to prevent fraud. The takeaway from this session is to provide you with awareness and education to help you be better prepared to keep criminals out of your credit union and away from your members.