The "CSE" behind Chris Chippindale's name shows he has taken time to add useful tools to his leadership toolbox. And he's continuing on that path.
Chris Chippindale, CSE, center, works with two classmates on a group exercise at CEO Institute II at Cornell. At left is Brandi Stankovic, a leader at Boulder Dam Credit Union, Boulder City, Nev.; at right is Caroline Willard, executive vice president of CUES Supplier member CO-OP Financial Services and chair of the CUES Board of Directors.[/caption] At CEO Institute II: Organizational Effectiveness at Cornell University earlier this month, attendees learned a variety of techniques for decision-making, leading change and negotiating. During one of the class discussions, CUES member Chris Chippindale, CSE, described the value he’d found in a previous course, CUES School of Applied Strategic Management™, slated for Sept. 14-17 in San Antonio. Participation in this program in 2007 earned him his Certified Senior Executive designation. We followed up with Chippindale—SVP/strategic initiates at $4.25 billion Ent Federal Credit Union, Colorado Springs—to learn more.
What did you like about CUES School of Applied Strategic Management? The simulation exercise was excellent. Being able to test out theories and have discussions on decisions that have short- and long-term impacts and then see the ramifications was enlightening. It was helpful to see the impact of a decision over multiple quarters in just a few minutes.
What was your key takeaway from the program? You need to think long term. It’s easy to be reactive when things start happening but, if you have a good foundation, you need to trust it and make small course corrections.
What was learning from John Oliver like? (Oliver is president of Laurel Management Systems, Palm Springs, Calif.) He’s an excellent instructor. I appreciated that although we spent a great deal of time on the simulation, he was able to weave in real-world scenarios. Discussions that tied in the financial aspect to bigger picture issues also helped. Everything made the point that the financial part of decisions is important, but not the only driver.
What has having your CSE (Certified Senior Executive) designation meant for you? It signifies that I have one more tool at my disposal. My job touches all areas of the organization and having a working knowledge of the financial side of the business is necessary to weigh in on important strategic decisions.
How did you apply at your credit union what you learned at CUES School of Applied Strategic Management? Part of my, and my team’s responsibility, is to analyze the financial impact of the projects we consider. Having this foundation has helped. By no means am I an expert, but being able to engage in meaningful conversations with internal experts and the vendors is important.
What made you decide to go on to CEO Institute? Ent has sent a number of our executives through the program. I had asked for the opportunity to broaden my overall knowledge and develop skills to help me succeed as I’ve progressed through my career. Having a number of our leadership team as “graduates” of CEO Institute has helped us collectively institute many of the learnings from the program.
Attendees who participate in all three segments of CEO Institute and complete two between-segments projects are eligible to earn their Certified Chief Executive designation. The CIE (Certified Innovation Executive) designation can be earned by successfully completing both weeks of Strategic Innovation Institute (I and II) and all assigned course work. The CIE designation establishes a standard of education and excellence for credit union leaders. It signifies you have made a commitment to developing innovative and strategic vision, and obtained a level of expertise recognized throughout the credit union movement. It's not too late to register for Strategic Innovation Institute I, hosted by MIT. The event will be held Sept. 20-25. In addition to gaining knowledge about how to implement the latest in innovation theory, you'll leave MIT ready to become even more expert at innovation--by attending Strategic Innovation Institute II at Stanford in 2016.
