Flashback: Josh McAfee

Next up in our Flashback series is Josh McAfee.

Josh McAfee, 2011 Finalist

At the time of the competition, Josh was the Marketing Director with Leaders Credit Union ($141M) in Jackson, Tennessee.

Where are you now?

Still at Leaders Credit Union. I'm now the Vice President of Marketing. We've grown by nearly 40% in assets since I participated in the competition, so my role has become more strategic in nature, but the general scope is the same. I still oversee all aspects of our internal members' sentiment and our external markets' development for Leaders.

How did the competition help you in your career?

It was a great reminder that all projects and proposals need to be well-rounded and consider all audiences. Even if you’re presenting something marketing-focused, the financials are equally important. Presenting to a room of CEOs and CFOs helped shape the message at all levels. 

What’s your best memory of the competition?

While the CEO/Executive Team Network conference in Las Vegas was an outstanding experience, I gained the most from my time developing my project at Leaders. As an employee of a financial cooperative, we're answerable for every expense generated by our operations. To be able to save expenses and return equity back to our members every year is invaluable to me.

Words of wisdom for those thinking of applying?

It's all about your members. If what you're trying to do to make your credit union or the industry better doesn't ultimately benefit your members, it should be "back to the drawing board." Also, check your ego at the door. Our industry segment is built on our cooperative nature, so everyone involved in the competition is a winner and the only losers are those who can't recognize that. That was my biggest mistake and I've tried to keep that as top-of-mind ever since. 

The CUES Team