CU*Answers, a 100% credit union-owned CUSO, held their 2022 Annual Leadership Conference and Stockholders Meeting on June 15th at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The event brought together credit union leadership from across the country for a briefing on the organization’s overall direction and major projects for the coming year.
This year’s conference theme was “Our Next Adventure.” New CU*Answers CEO Geoff Johnson greeted a crowd of over 200 participants from credit unions, partners, and vendors from around the country. In his opening remarks, Johnson said, “The last eight months since I became CEO have just flown by. It’s been an exhilarating adventure already.”
He thanked everyone for the support he has received along the way, saying, “although there’s a new face, a new style, and you’ll be hearing from some different voices, it’s the same great team, the same outstanding group of clients and owners, and our CUSO is in the same great financial shape as before. We look forward to some very exciting things to come in the years ahead as we continue on our next great adventure as a cooperative and partner.” The word of the day, said Johnson, was evolution. “Our next adventure simply means our CUSO is continuing to evolve, continuing to serve our clients and owners, and continuing to be a force in the industry. We’re rarin’ to go!”
In addition to some opening remarks by Johnson about some big-picture initiatives the CUSO is undertaking over the coming year, a dozen different CU*Answers leaders joined Johnson on stage for conversations about cybersecurity, multi-factor authentication strategies, fraud and vendor management, and news about CU*Answers products, services and software enhancements recently implemented and planned for the coming year.
The day-long conference was attended by 215 participants, including 147 CEOs and other leaders from 112 credit unions, along with 43 representatives from 25 different vendors, and 25 staff.
At a separate session that evening, CU*Answers Stockholders met for the annual board member election and to hear a recap of the CUSO’s financial position and projections for the fiscal year.