Official rules

1. Education phase

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. The CUES Emerge program is sponsored by CUES (“Sponsor”).

The program prize package is void where prohibited or restricted by law or where bonding, registration, or other requirements would be required but have not been met, or where the methods of entry set forth below would be deemed consideration. All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.

A. Application Period

The application period begins at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on January 1, 2026 and ends at 11:00 p.m. ET time on February 9, 2026. Interested parties are invited to submit an application during the application phase.

B. Eligibility Criteria

Any current credit union employee who has not yet reached the C-Suite level is eligible to apply. All applications must include a leader endorsement.

There are no geographic restrictions. Applicants can be from any country or credit union.

There is no limit to the number of applicants from a single credit union; however, the number of credit union employees that are selected from a single credit union to participate will be limited.

To be eligible to receive the Certified Credit Union Manager designation, the information associated with the participant’s application must be true and accurate, and a completed business case must be submitted before the deadline (June 22, 2026 at 11:00 P.M. ET)

2. Competition phase

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. This competition is void in whole or in part where prohibited by law. To complete your entry you must read and agree to the following rules. Participation in this competition constitutes full and unconditional agreement and acceptance of these rules. All dollar amounts are in U.S. funds. The search competition is presented by CUES (the “Presenter”).

The CUES Emerge competition phase begins at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on August 7, 2026 and ends at 11:00 p.m. ET on October 13, 2026. CUES has the right to change the dates or time frames of any portion of the competition without notice.

A. Eligibility Criteria

The competition phase is open only to those that have completed the education phase in the current year. There are no geographic restrictions.

B. How to Enter

To enter, check the “I want to participate in the competition phase” when submitting your business case. Business case submissions are due at 11 p.m. ET on June 22, 2026. Submissions received after that time will not be eligible to move onto the competition phase.

Your entry submission must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible:

  • A completed business case that meets the technical specifications required for it to be uploaded to, and received by, the CUES Emerge website by the end of the education phase.

  • Not contain any objectionable language or images.

  • Not contain any content that violates any law or any third party's rights (including trademark, copyright, privacy and intellectual property rights).

  • Be submitted in English.

In the event of a dispute, applications shall be deemed to be submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the entry (the “Applicant”). All applications are subject entirely to the discretion of the Presenter, whose decisions are final. Each entry that meets the criteria above and that is submitted in accordance with these rules, will become eligible for the competition phase. Only one entry per person will be accepted. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Chances of winning depend on the number and skill level of participants.

C. Identifying the FINAL 5

All business cases will be reviewed and evaluated by the judging panel. The five (5) entrants with the highest rating will become the Final 5 and participate in the online pitch show. Finalists will be advised by email and announced on the website on or about August 7, 2026.

D. Determining the competition winners

Each of the Final 5 will participate in the online pitch show hosted by Currency Marketing on October 7, 2026. Each of the Final 5 will be required to deliver a live presentation, up to seven (7) minutes in length, detailing their business case. These presentations will be streamed live during the online pitch show and posted on the CUES Emerge website and should communicate the progress and planning of their business case to the judging panel and to the online audience.

The criteria the judging panel will use includes:

  • Creative thinking

  • Content/idea

  • Presentation style

E. Awarding the prizes

Top 3 —Each of the Top 3 winners will receive a tiered educational and coaching package to support continued development and growth within the industry.

If a Finalist cannot continue as a Finalist, the Presenter retains the right to offer the spot to another contestant.

CUES Emerging Leader — The ultimate winner will also receive industry recognition including:

  • Award presentation

  • Live interview

The CUES Emerge Winner agrees to provide updates for CUES Emerge highlighting their experiences of the program.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable or redeemable for cash. If a potential winner cannot accept the prize as awarded, his or her entry will be forfeited, and another eligible contestant may be selected. Any costs associated with accepting the prize shall be the sole responsibility of the winner. At its sole discretion, the Sponsor may substitute a similarly valued prize at any time. Winner(s) must be employed in the credit union industry at the time of prize redemption in order to collect their prize.

3. Other matters that are important to read

A. Conditions of Participation:

By participating in this program, the Applicant certifies and acknowledges that:

  • They are an employee of a credit union or credit union service organization.

  • If they leave the credit union industry during the education phase or competition phase they will be disqualified from further participation in the CUES Emerge program.

B. Assignment of Rights to Submission

If you are selected to participate in the competition phase, you acknowledge that the Presenter will have the unrestricted and exclusive right to use the recording of your presentation on the Live Pitch Show for any purpose, including but not limited to, publishing it in an electronic form on the CUES Emerge website for promotional purposes without further compensation. The Presenter also has the right to (but is not required to) use your name, image, likeness, and biographical information and credit union name in credit along with the video.

As a condition of accepting a prize in this program, the winner agrees to a declaration of compliance with rules and an assignment, release and indemnity, assigning all rights to the video submission to the Presenter, including all copyrights and moral rights and releasing CUES, its affiliates and respective advertising and promotions agencies from any liability in connection with this competition or the prizes awarded.

C. Responsibility

No responsibility is assumed by the Presenter, its respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, its respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, for any disruption to telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software or failure of any entry to be received because of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, as well as lost, incomplete, destroyed, misdirected, illegible or late entries which for any reason are not received.

D. Substitutions

No prize substitutions will be made, except for the right of the Presenter to make a prize substitution of equivalent or greater value in the event the prize, or any portion thereof, is unavailable for any reason.

E. Cancellation

The Presenter reserves the right to modify or cancel this program at any time including, without limitation, in the event of technical corruption, virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or any other technical problems, which may arise from time-to-time beyond the control of the Presenter, destroying the integrity of this program.

F. Liability and responsibility

No liability or responsibility is assumed by the Presenter, resulting from user attempts to participate in this program or if required, download any information necessary to participate in this program. By entering this program, participants agree to hold the Presenter, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, their respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, harmless from and against any and all claims and liability arising out of or in any way connected with the operation of this program and use of a prize. Participants of this program assume all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by participation in this program or use or redemption of a prize. By participating in this program, entrants agree to be bound by the rules and the decisions of the program judges, which are final.

G. Disputes

In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an online entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry.

H. Disqualification

The Presenter reserves the right to disqualify any individual whom it finds to be in violation of these official rules or tampering with the entry process. The Presenter reserves the right to refuse an entry from a person whose eligibility is in question or who has been disqualified or is otherwise ineligible to enter.

I. Privacy policy

By entering this program, each entrant also consents to CUES, its agents and/or representatives, storing, using and disclosing the information submitted or provided with each entry for the purpose of administering this program and the prize in accordance with CUES’ privacy policy.

J. Caution

Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or interfere with the legitimate operation of the search competition may be a violation of criminal and civil laws, and the sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and/or other relief from all responsible persons to the fullest extent permitted by law.

K. Laws

This program and these rules, shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Wisconsin. Any litigation must be initiated in Wisconsin.