Panel - Identifying Disruptors
Panel Discussion
Credit union leaders will break down the strategic mindset required of individuals, teams and organizations to navigate industry disruptors and trends. The discussion will cover how credit unions’ strategy has shifted over the past 10 years, how to identify future-proof skills, how to make disruption an opportunity rather than a threat, and more.
Mark Jones (Chief Operating Officer, Community Savings Credit Union), Adam Fraser (Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at First Credit Union), Jennifer Tan (Sr Consultatant Climate Strategy and Performance, Vancity) and John Crockett (VP Growth & Innovation, First West Credit Union) will pull from their decades of combined experience to debate how we can move beyond simply “anticipating” change to truly preparing for, leading, and celebrating it. Change is inevitable – and it’s up to us how we react to it.
Panelists
Adam Fraser – Chief Operations Officer – First Credit Union
Adam is the Chief Operations Officer at First Credit Union on the west coast of BC. Prior to this, he was First Credit Union’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer where he oversaw organizational strategy, innovation and digital transformation, credit risk, and IT. Adam has been in the credit union system for over a decade working in various roles in commercial banking, operations, strategy, leadership, and digital transformation. He holds an MBA from Royal Roads University and a BBA in Finance from Vancouver Island University. Adam is a past winner of CCUA’s National Young Leaders Award, has been recognized as one of Vancouver Island’s Top 20 Under 40, is a past member of CCUA’s National Young Leaders Committee and is a current member of the National Lenders Committee.
Jennifer Tan – Senior Consultant, Climate Strategy & Performance – Vancity
Jennifer is a Senior Consultant in Vancity’s Climate Strategy and Performance team, where she brings her passion for addressing the climate emergency into her daily work. Her current role is focused on understanding and measuring Vancity’s financed emissions, with the goal of driving data improvements and disclosures to facilitate effective net-zero transition planning. With over 17 years of experience at the credit union, Jennifer has held diverse roles within the organization including Strategy and Planning, Banking Operations and Technology Development, supporting design-build of Vancity branches as well as tracking carbon emissions related to Vancity’s operations. Most recently she was part of a small team dedicated to the strategic planning and operationalization of a wholly owned subsidiary, Vancity Community Investment Bank. This is the first Canadian bank committed exclusively to focusing on impact investing and partnering with organizations focused on driving positive social, economic and environmental change. She holds a BSc in Psychology from Edinburgh University, a Master of Management in Co-operatives and Credit Unions from Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia and recently completed the Sustainable Finance program at the Frankfurt School, Germany. Originally from Manchester, UK, Jennifer now resides in Vancouver with her husband and is inspired by her pre-teen son, to collaborate and drive change to ensure a cleaner, fairer world for all.
Mark Jones – Chief Operating Officer – Community Savings Credit Union
Mark is the Chief Operating Officer at Community Savings Credit Union, joining the organization in March 2022. He has spent his entire professional life in the BC Credit Union system, working for Coastal Community Credit Union for 13 years in progressive roles. Following that, he led Union Bay Credit Union as CEO through a period of growth and transformation, culminating in a merger with First Credit Union in 2021. Following the merger, Mark became the Chief Operating Officer at Community Savings, overseeing the branch network, and wealth management operation. Mark earned a bachelors degree in Business Administration from Vancouver Island University, and a Master’s of Business Administration from Royal Roads University. He is an Associate of the Credit Union Institute of Canada, and a founding member of the BC Young Leader’s Network, and Coastal Community’s Young Leader’s Network. Mark enjoys a rural life in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island with his two kids Maddie & Jack, having fun with many outdoor activities. He is super excited to be speaking on this panel; many of his best credit union friends he met at a BCYL conference.
John Crockett – VP, Growth & Innovation – First West Credit Union
John is the Vice President of Growth and Innovation at First West Credit Union where he leads strategic planning and the development of member-centric solutions that strengthen First West’s reputation as a financial services provider committed to helping our members thrive. In a previous life, John was a lead consultant for the Environics Group of Companies where he spent more than a decade working with businesses across financial services, telecommunications and e-commerce to develop data-driven solutions that drive growth and customer engagement. John holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.