MADISON, Wis.— The 2021 CUES Emerge program has named the five finalists who will pitch their ideas before a panel of judges.
The competition began with 32 up-and-coming professionals who were selected to take part in the program, with 24 then self-selected into the competition phase to have their submitted business cases reviewed by a panel of judges. The four judges reviewed all entries and identified the top five finalists to participate in the online pitch show, which is being hosted by Currency.
The five CUES finalists are:
- William Aguilar, assistant manager, Contact Center, America First CU, Brea, Calif.
- Krista Baum, security architect, WSECU, Olympia, Wash.
- Yianni Harbis, manager, Branch and Commercial Banking, Sydney CU, Sydney, Nova Scotia
- Alex Hsu, VP-planning & change management, SchoolsFirst FCU, Santa Ana, Calif.
- Daniel Valley, member experience manager, Lake Trust CU, Brighton, Mich.
‘Wide Range of Business Cases’
“After the incredible success of the CUES Emerge program last year, we were excited to see such a broad cross-section of applicants again this year,” said CUES President/CEO John Pembroke. “The five finalists chosen have a wide range of business cases that address challenges and bring new ideas that many credit unions share.”
Added Currency President Tim McAlpine, “Once again, with CUES Emerge being purposely designed to have a large online component, we were able to have our 32-member cohort learn from world-renowned educators, and seasoned credit union leaders, along with each other. The business cases show how each person has been able to incorporate that learning into their work.”
The Virtual Stage
CUES said the five Finalists will take the virtual stage and present their business cases during a live online pitch show, on Oct. 6. Following the live show, the judges will select the top three, and the ultimate 2021 CUES Emerging Leader will be named.
All members of the top three will receive a tiered educational and coaching package to support continued development and growth within the industry.
For info: CUESEmerge.com.