SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich.–A “walkabout” program during which U.S.-based credit union leaders can learn about and from their Australian counterparts has been announced for 2019.
More formally known as “CU Walkabout,” the event has been organized as a learning and cultural exchange by cu.difference, the consulting firm co-founded by Lois Kitsch and Mark Lynch, who are well known to many in credit unions for their work with the National Credit Union Foundation.
“The key goal of the program is to give participants the opportunity to acquire information, ideas and skills that will not only help them in the work they currently do but will help them grow as a leader in the movement,” said Lynch, who is a native of Australia and previously worked for credit unions in that country. “A key focus will be to study how the Australian credit union movement has evolved since U.S. credit unions helped start it in the late 1940s. We will look closely at the impact of taxation and what the ‘credit union difference’ now looks like in Australia.”
According to Lynch, participants will have the opportunity to meet with their peers, including one-on-one’s between CEOs and marketers and others who will spend time with their counterparts.
Other Educational Opportunities
“The group will also study how Australian credit unions use technology and look at trends that are very different in Australia to here in the U.S.,” said Lynch.
Participants will also look at the Australian educational system and how the country has managed student debt; how Australians manage retirement savings; how the Australian health and health insurance system works, and more.
U.S. credit union leaders will also have the opportunity to share their own stories.
Lynch said the program has been designed to focus on experiential learning and sharing, including inside Australian CUs, and participants will even have the option to stay with Australian families for a few nights.
The CU Walkabout Tour will begin in Melbourne before traveling to Sydney and then Brisbane along Australia’s Gold Coast. The program is scheduled for March 23-April 4, 2018.
The program cost is $4,800, and includes all travel within Australia, all lodging and meals, and all organized events. It does not include the cost of travel to and from Australia. The cost for those participants that share a room with another participant is $4,000.
For more information, contact Mark Lynch at mark@cudifference.com or 906 440-3804.