4 minutes
Chris Conway
Branch Manager
$625 million Smart Financial Credit Union
Houston
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Watch his 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?):
My project is one that centers around branches without a traditional teller line. These branches have interactive teller machines that use “Skype-like” technology to interact with the member. The member can do almost all transactions at the ITM other than get coin.
Our virtual tellers are housed centrally and are able to take transactions at all the locations where machines are located. If there are no transactions at any given time, they are able to help with other tasks and departments, making these employees very efficient with very little downtime. This concept will combat the current trend of declining teller transactions in branches across all institutions due to RDC, deposit friendly ATMs and consumers who are becoming increasingly tech savvy.
Other benefits of this technology include a decreased chance of robbery, typically quicker transactions and a more unique transaction experience. Without the operational burden that comes with having to manage a teller line and cash, our platform staff has the ability to assist our members with their other financial needs more easily and efficiently.
We have two branches that are ITMs only, one branch that has a teller line and an ITM and we are currently in the process of converting our first traditional branch from a traditional teller line to the ITM technology.
All of these locations have had great success and we look forward to converting more branches in the near future.
What is your long-term career goal?
To continue to become more knowledgeable and involved in the future of interactive teller machine branches at SFCU. I would ultimately like to lead this group of branches here at Smart Financial!
Fill in the dots: The future of credit unions will be bright if ...
We continue to always make serving our membership our number one focus. All decisions should be made with “how will this affect our member” in mind. I also think keeping up with the current technological trends is huge in the success of credit unions. If we want to serve our members better than the bank down the road, we must be able to offer our members the technology they are getting at other institutions.
What my generation brings to the credit union movement is …
A forward thinking, innovative, energetic and very adaptable group of young professionals.
People consider me a leader because …
I would never ask my employees to do something I wouldn’t or haven’t already done. I have always been a lead by example, “in the trenches” type of manager and I think my employees respect me for that. Actions most definitely speak louder than words.
Who is your hero and why?
I would say my parents are my heroes, because they provided a great example for my brother and me. They taught us how to work hard and showed us what it was to be great parents.They instilled in us that nothing would ever be handed to us and to work hard at everything we did. I owe all of my success, professionally and personally, to them.
Who is a must-follow on Twitter?
Sports Quotes - @sports_Greats– Good motivational sports quotes!
Does your credit union have Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram other social media accounts? Please provide links:
Facebook: smartfinancial
Twitter: Smart Financial Credit Union
Flickr: smartfinancial
LinkedIn: Smart Financial Credit Union
Youtube: SmartFinancialCU
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?
After briefly browsing, it appears there is an infinite amount of great information, webinars, learning tools, etc, and I am excited to dive in and broaden my knowledge and expertise.
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Online voters and a panel of past finalists narrowed the CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec field from 20 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 will blog about their project. 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™, Oct. 23-26 in Savannah, Ga., where they will give their final presentations. The 2016 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. |
