SAN ANTONIO–Roy MacKinnon, CEO of Edwards FCU, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council here during its annual meeting. The award is the highest honor presented by the Council.
MacKinnon was recognized for his accomplishments while overseeing marketing and other functions at First Entertainment FCU in Hollywood, Calif. While at First Entertainment, MacKinnon, where he started in 1990, was part of a team that drove asset growth of more than 1,500%. He was named CEO at Edwards FCU in 2016.
“I thought I was going to work for a small bank,” said MacKinnon in remarks at the meeting. “I had no clue. I was pretty proud to get the job of director of marketing at a $73-million financial institution. Had they also told me I also would be doing business development and public speaking, I would have turned down the job.”
But MacKinnon didn’t turn the position down and during his tenure at the now $1.3-billion First Entertainment was among the most awarded credit unions in the country in the Diamond Awards presented by the MBD Council.
“If I could leave the audience with something, and I wish I would have heard this in my first year or two, it’s that marketing should be loud and bold; marketing needs to grab the viewer by the collar and scream’ look at me’,” said MacKinnon. “If it doesn’t do that, it’s not going to cut through the clutter. I would challenge you, especially the newbies, to ask what have you changed at your credit union? How have you put your imprint on your credit union’s marketing? If you haven’t done that, what are you waiting for? We tell tellers to stop being order-takers. You need to stop being an order-taker. Bring passion every day and ask yourself what it is you really do.
“You have to be ready to justify your stuff. Don’t be afraid to fail,” MacKinnon continued. “CFOs think we just spend money. So, you have to justify your expenses. See if you can get on ALCO.
Become a BFF to your CFO. Don’t be afraid of those who don’t like what you do. Don’t’ be afraid to blow your own horn. If you don’t, who will? Tell your CEO you are putting the fuel in the engine that drives the credit union.”