DENVER—Babu Markus Gomes, president of Dhaka CU in Bangladesh, traveled to Denver hoping to learn the key reasons behind how U.S. credit unions are driving growth.
Gaining those kinds of insights is high on Gomes’ list of things to accomplish here at the joint World Council of CU’s World CU Conference and CUNA’s America’s Credit Union Conference. CUToday.info spoke with delegates at the meeting to find out what they hoped to gain from the event and its sessions, and how much importance they placed on mingling with CU leaders from other counties to gain insights they may not be able to pick up at home.
Gomes, like all of the delegates with whom CUToday.info spoke, sees a great deal of value from interacting with CU executives from across the globe.
“To me, this meeting is the highest of CU forums,” said Gomes, who heads a $45-million CU. “I want to understand all of the new credit union ideas from around the world, particularly why credit unions in the U.S. grow so well on a very large scale. Credit unions in the United States are so popular with consumers, and I want to find out why and take that learning back to benefit my CU movement and my members.”
Sticking To Its Roots
Peter Iles, general manager at First Credit Union in New Zealand, said he had traveled such a long distance seeking to learn from his global counterparts how to improve on his CU’s already effective mobile and Internet banking platforms, and how to drive lasting relationships with Millennials—a large, growing segment of the $300-million CU.
“I think mixing and mingling with people around the world and sharing philosophies will be good,” said Iles, who said his credit union also has a great deal to share with others, particularly around how First CU has grown from a handful of members in 1955 to more than 61,000 today, and becoming the largest CU in New Zealand.
“We are very proud of how we have grown—by sticking to our credit union roots, our historical foundation established by our forefathers,” said Iles.
Kennis Thomas, president of UWI CU in Trinidad Tobago, said he has attended numerous World Council meetings and finds networking the key benefit.
No Need To Reinvent Wheel
“I hope to continue that this year,” said Thomas. “We want to learn how to do things differently without having to reinvent the wheel. We will find out what works at credit unions outside our country and take that back,” noted Thomas who said he is very interested in tips on governance.
Alan Peppers, president emeritus at the $1.3-billion Westerra CU in the meeting’s host city of Denver, said World Council Meetings are always the place reconnect with old friends from around the word and meet new ones.
“This meeting gives you so many different perspectives, outside your own credit union environment,” said Peppers. “It makes you appreciate the value of the cooperative movement from around the world. The greatest value of this meeting is mingling.”
Steve Fifield, VP of branches, sales and service at the $708-million Cyprus FCU in West Jordan, Utah, agrees.
“Anything we can find out that helps us to be a better organization . . . and if that means looking globally, that is great,” said Fifield. “Another good thing, this meeting is only an hour away from our offices—so drive an hour and pick up great ideas from around the world.”