Strategy for Credit Unions: A guide for Management and Boards - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

I have the honour of serving members in a large Credit Union in Ireland. In Irish terms that’s assets above €100m. Recently, I completed a Diploma in Strategy and Innovation in the Irish Management Institute, which has broadened my horizons on the subject of Strategy. Previous endeavours included building and opening a 100-seater restaurant, as owner/manager for eleven years. It was opened the year the Celtic Tiger took off and closed in tandem with the same Tiger’s demise! We had clearly defined points of differentiation for the business, and whilst we didn’t know it at the time we were working off an unwritten Strategy. Even the exit from the business was Strategically planned so as to protect reputations and suppliers. A large part of my early career was in AIB retail banking in the UK. We referred to ourselves as ‘pioneers’ in the 1970’s and 80’s, as we were building a business from scratch, and opening new branches every few months. Having progressed through the management functions in retail banking, I worked with executives in HQ, formulating Strategies on marketing and business development. They asked me to travel the length and breadth of Britain in search of joint venture partners, and this was the time of my greatest personal development. I recall being the first person I knew to have a ‘mobile’ phone in the car as I was regularly on the road. My role included developing new products to meet the needs of new markets, and that brought me in front of leaders of many great businesses in the UK. Other than that, I operated my own painting business, a part-time video and photography business, and managed a logistics enterprise for a time. I studied for a Diploma in Accounting and Finance, a Management Diploma, and a Diploma in Lending to the SME sector. And like you, reader, I clocked up many hours of study-time to help with the demands of the job. During my studies I became amazed at the lack of information specifically aimed at supporting Credit Unions on the subject of Strategy. With over three million Credit Union members in this country relying on the Strategic choices of managers and CEO’s, I felt it is high time that this void was filled. There are a further 214 million members across 57,000 Credit Unions in 105 countries and each in turn has or needs a Strategy. If I can reach some of these and help in some way it will be worthwhile. I am donating 100% of the royalties of this book to the Irish Cancer Society.