NextGen Leaders: Andrea Finn

Online voters and a panel of past finalists narrowed the CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec field from 24 to the Top 15 applicants. The challenge, held in conjunction with DDJ Myers and administered by Currency, searches for emerging leaders age 35 and under from within the credit union industry.

The Top 15 are blogging about their projects on www.nexttopcreditunionexec.com/blog. And to provide additional value to the competition experience, they’ll each receive an executive coaching session from DDJ Myers, a CUES Supplier member and strategic provider. A judging panel of two CUES members and Deedee Myers of DDJ Myers will then score the Top 15’s applications and blog posts, narrowing the competition to five finalists.

The five finalists will receive additional coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration to CUES’ CEO/Executive Team Network™, Nov. 2-5 in Amelia Island, Fla., where they will give their final presentations. The 2014 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec will receive further coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration for two CUES’ CEO Institutes, a total prize package valued at $20,000.

For the next several weeks, we’ll be checking in with the Top 15 to see how their project is going and learn a bit more about these next generation leaders.

Andrea Finn
Digital Marketing Specialist
$1.4 billion Royal Credit Union
Eau Claire, Wis.
Follow Andrea on Twitter: @AndreaFinn
Follow her on LinkedIn
Watch Andrea’s CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec video

Give us the elevator speech about your project (as in how would you describe your project to someone you meet in an elevator?):

Royal YP is a professional development team made up of Royal Credit Union team members 35 years old and younger, working together to educate, advocate and lead the credit union difference through service excellence.

What is your long-term career goal?

I absolutely love the credit union industry we live and breathe in, and I am extremely proud to work for Royal Credit Union. Whatever the future holds for me is unknown at this time in my journey; I am loving life and living for the moment. I do know at this point in my career as I look ahead to long-term goals, I see myself in a leadership position within the credit union industry.

Fill in the dots: The future of credit unions will be bright if ...

We spend the time needed on younger generations.

I see two main ideas to focus on here:

1. Developing our future credit union leaders through development opportunities (such as my project – Royal YP);
2. Giving our young members the financial education and assistance they need to be successful in the future.

According to the CUNA 2012-2013 Survey of Members and nonmembers, 71 percent of young nonmembers ages 18-24 are “not at all familiar” or “not very familiar” with credit unions. Wow. 71 percent?!?!! That is why my project is so important – our focus is to make more people familiar.

Financial education is a huge opportunity for credit unions to do the right thing with the younger demographic. The majority of what they know they learned from their parents or peers. That’s why we have the RCU School $ense program at Royal, and we are in 27 schools across the state of Wisconsin. We know it is helping, and we know what these students need at a young age.

What my generation brings to the credit union movement is …

Inspiration and action. We are eager to learn and make a difference. When we learn we become inspired to take action. Those of us in the credit union industry understand what the credit union movement means to us and we want others to know too. We are very passionate about it, and we want others to feel it too.

People consider me a leader because …

I am passionate about whatever I get involved in. I give it my all and I strive to inspire and engage others to be active and involved. I celebrate success individually and with others as I constantly look for ways to improve. I’ve been told I am a go-getter.

Who is your hero and why?

I am honored to say that I have had many heroes that have come and gone in my life within the last 31 years. I would like to name three of them: my professional hero and two personal heroes. My professional hero is my boss, Vicki Hoehn. She has only been in my life for less than two years, but she has made a definite impact on me in my life. She is my mentor, my friend and ultimately my hero. My personal heroes are my supportive mom and husband. Without them and their support I would not get the chance to be where I am today.

Who is a must-follow on Twitter?

Here are just a few of my favorites!
@GuyKawasaki
@BruceVH
@MotivatedLiving
@Beinspowered 
@MattMonge
@CookeonCUs
@DaneCook
@Brewers 

Does your credit union have Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram other social media accounts?

Twitter: @TweetRCU
Facebook
Pinterest
LinkedIn
GooglePlus
YouTube

What is your favorite CUES member benefit? Or, if you are a new CUES NextGen member, what benefit are you most looking forward to using?

I am a new CUES NextGen member and I am most looking forward to professional development and connections.