Nominate a Standout Future Leader for the 2015 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Challenge

The industry’s first competition recognizing the incredible young leaders of the credit union movement is back for year number six! The search is on for the 2015 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec. This program for the industry’s emerging leaders is powered by Currency and in partnership with DDJ Myers.

CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec challenge searches for up-and-coming credit union leaders age 35 and under. Participants pitch a current project or program they are working on at their credit union or an idea to advance their credit union or the industry. The challenge features more than $50,000 in educational prizes and will award the title of CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec. 

“At CUES, our vision is to educate and develop credit union leaders from all over the world – whether they are CEOs or future leaders, so they can strengthen the industry and improve the financial lives of their members. In the last few years, young professionals from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean have been nominated,” says CUES Interim CEO Dawn Poker. “We’re excited to once again learn from the voices of our industry’s next generation. These are the future leaders who will continue to drive the credit union industry forward.”

Five key phases make up the program this year:

1. Nominations: May 20 to June 5 at www.ntcue.com. Nominate a rising star—even yourself!
2. Applications: June 8-July 13. Young leaders complete an application form and submit a short video and blog post about their project idea.
3. Public voting: July 15-July 30. View the application videos and blog posts and vote for your favorite. The 10 Applicants with the most votes will automatically move on; up to five additional Applicants chosen by a special panel will join them in the Top 15. 
4. Judging: August 19-September 17. The Top 15 will submit an additional blog post, giving an update on their projects, and be scored by a judging panel, which will narrow the field to five Finalists. The Final 5 will be announced September 18. 
5. Final presentations: November 8-11. Finalists will contribute one additional video, then face off at CUES’ CEO/Executive Team Network™ in Scottsdale, Ariz. The finalist with the highest score based on judges’ scores, audience votes, online votes, and social media interaction will be named 2015 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec on November 11 during the conference.

To provide additional value to the competition experience, the Top 15 members will participate in individual executive coaching sessions with DDJ Myers. The five Finalists will receive additional coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration to CEO/Executive Team Network. The winner will receive further coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration for two CUES’ CEO Institutes – one in 2016 and one in 2017 – a total prize package valued at $20,000.

2014 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Alex Castley said, “Being named the winner of this challenge gave me a huge boost – both personally and professionally. It validated the work that my team and I are doing at my credit union, and gave a shot of confidence to all of us – that despite working in a small credit union in northern Canada, we can have an impact internationally. And I still haven’t even taken my CEO Institute courses yet! The opportunity to go to some of these schools is unheard of for me, and it’s nothing I would have dreamed of. Winning this challenge really is the gift that keeps on giving.”