MADISON, Wis.–The World Council of Credit Unions has signed a cooperation agreement with Poland’s National Association for Cooperative Savings and Credit Unions (NACSCU) and Sicredi, the largest credit union system in Brazil.
WOCCU said the two organizations have agreed to exchange products, services and strategies in the areas of:
- Digital transformation, including the sharing of digital platforms
- Corporate governance, to explore the relationship between a credit union and its members, and to provide training for young leaders
- Sales, including the discussion of sales methodologies and the delivery of financial products and services
The World Council said it will provide backing, monitoring and support to bolster the efforts of the two organizations.
‘The Future for Credit Unions’
“This is a time when we cannot travel to engage and share in person. Yet our technology makes the world a smaller place and a world in which it is easier to connect virtually,” said WOCCU President/CEO Brian Branch. “Sicredi and the Polish National Association have led the way for many years now. They have led the way in best practices for credit union management, branding, system networking and building shared platforms. Today, they lead the way in digitization, which is the future for credit unions.”
The signing ceremony took place during a virtual meeting attended by executives from all three organizations.
"First of all, it is important for me that we sign the agreement not only as parties or partners, but also as friends," said NACSCU President Rafał Matusiak, who is also chair of WOCCU’s board.
Sicredi was represented by Manfred Alfonso Dasenbrock, Chair of Sicredi Participações and a WOCCU Board Director, and Sicredi CEO João Tavares.
The Foundation
“International cooperation is a foundation of the cooperative model, which postulates mutual support,” said Dasenbrock. “We are exceptionally proud to be showing Polish cooperatives a little of what we’ve learned here in Brazil, while we also benefit by what we will learn from them. We are certain that this partnership will bear positive fruit on both ends—and it is important to reiterate that this connection was only possible thanks to WOCCU, which links credit unions together from all over the world.”