Evolving the Brand

John Pembroke has worked on some of the most popular U.S. brands—including Procter & Gamble’s Downy, Kraft’s Ritz, and PSCU’s Total Member Care.

So it’s not surprising that one of his key tasks when he joined CUES as chief operating officer in 2013 was a brand refresh. He also played an important role in the development of a new strategic plan and culture.

Named president/CEO of CUES on June 22, Pembroke sees continuing to build CUES’ image in the marketplace as a primary focus. He’ll know he’s achieved this goal when a vast majority of credit union leaders answer “CUES” when asked the following question: “What talent development partner helps you reach your greatest potential, supporting the success of your credit union and the industry as a whole?”

“I’m proud of what we’ve done in such a short time at CUES: a new brand, strategy, culture and offerings,” says Pembroke, who took the helm from Dawn Poker, CUDE, CUES’ SVP/chief sales and member relations officer. Poker had served as interim CEO since the departure of Chuck Fagan in March.

“I am looking forward to evolving the CUES brand. A strong CUES translates to stronger credit union leaders and stronger CUs that can improve their members’ financial lives.”

Pembroke brings a notable background in branding and new product development. His experience includes more than 20 years in marketing, branding, and e-commerce, including as chief marketing and product development officer at CUES Supplier member PSCU, St. Petersburg, Fla., and chief operating officer at Vault Financial Group, Silver Spring, Md. He has held leadership roles at Cox Enterprises, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, and Procter & Gamble.

At PSCU, Pembroke launched numerous offerings to meet the needs of CUs—from mobile banking to contactless cards to member loyalty rewards to prepaid cards. He also helped CUs understand the importance of effectively marketing to Millennials, and established a new product development group. During his tenure, the PSCU brand evolved from one of shared CU values to one of providing CUs with confidence and peace of mind.

Pembroke holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where CUES’ CEO Institute I: Strategic Planning is held, and an MBA in marketing and policy studies from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

In addition to continuing to evolve CUES’ external brand, Pembroke has his sights set on the continued evolution of the CUES internal culture, based on core values developed by staff members themselves. These include providing “Wow” service, pursuing learning relentlessly, and having integrity in every action.

“I am a big believer in culture” as key to employee engagement and retention, he says.“If staff love working at CUES, our brand will be supported by the best people doing their best work. Our members and their talent development will benefit from that.”

Lisa Hochgraf is a CUES senior editor.