Glia, the leading provider of Digital Customer Service, today announced a strategic partnership with Access Softek, an omnichannel digital banking provider. The integration of Glia’s technology allows Access Softek to offer seamless Digital Customer Service (DCS) as part of its digital banking platform. Access Softek has been in business more than 35 years and continues to drive innovation in the financial sector. By adding Glia to its robust product portfolio, Access Softek will allow its more than 400 banks and credit union clients to seamlessly connect with customers and members within the digital domain, building loyalty that lasts. “We are pleased to bring Glia into our expanding and innovative ecosystem of solutions for our clients. Glia, like Access Softek, has a proven track record of helping institutions transform the end user experience," said Chris Doner, CEO of Access Softek. “Glia’s sophisticated Digital Customer Service technology, when used with the Access Softek Access Digital banking product, brings great flexibility and choice for end users, allowing them to engage with their institutions however they feel most comfortable.” Integrating Glia’s digital-first customer service capabilities into the Access Softek platform empowers institutions to meet customers where they are and provide support across digital channels—including SMS, chat, OnScreen voice and, video—without breaking the digital connection. Collaboration tools such as CoBrowsing allow financial institutions to guide customers, helping to improve the customer experience and increase efficiencies. “A growing number of financial institutions are embracing Digital Customer Service (DCS) to align with the digital lifestyles of their members and customers, and continuously meet their expectations. This partnership further expands our joint reach, enabling Access Softek to provide seamless DCS solutions for banks and credit unions to meet their customers and members OnScreen, keep them online and improve the overall digital experience,” said Steve Kaish, SVP of Alliances for Glia.
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World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) announced Diana Dykstra, CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues (USA), as its new Board Chair on day three of the 2022 World Credit Union Conference. “I just want to thank you for this honor, and I really look forward to working with you in the coming year. Thank you so much,” Dykstra told attendees of Tuesday’s general session. A WOCCU Board member since 2016, Dykstra has also served as President/CEO of San Francisco Fire Credit Union and CoastHills Credit Union, as well as a Senior Vice President of Patelco Credit Union. During her tenure as Senior Vice President of The Golden 1 Credit Union, Diana led her team to develop the prototype of the now successful Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) program. Dykstra will serve as Chair for a two-year term through July 2024. The WOCCU Board of Directors also reappointed current directors Dallas Bergl (USA), Joe Thomas (USA) and Michael Lawrence (Australia) to two-year terms. Jeff Guthrie, the new President and CEO of the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA), was also appointed to a two-year term. He replaces outgoing CCUA President and CEO Martha Durdin. WOCCU Board Directors Manfred Dasenbrock (Brazil), Charles Murphy (Ireland), George Ototo (Kenya) and Joseph Remy (Caribbean) were all reelected to two-year terms. The World Council Board’s committee officers for 2022-23 are:
Fireplace chat on international regulations Attendees also got to hear from two of the world’s foremost authorities on national credit union regulations Tuesday, during a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies. Rodney Hood, Board Director for the United States’ National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and Brian Corr, Director of Credit Union Policy with Ireland’s Department of Finance (DFIN), agreed credit unions are well positioned to implement digital and technological solutions for their members. “I think the great advantage credit unions have all over the world is they don’t have the legacy systems the retail banks have. So, they can take onboard tried and trusted technologies,” said Corr. “One thing I say to credit unions is: ‘Be ambitious. You don’t have to take as big a risk as the retail banks.'” The pair also agreed credit unions still need to ensure to do their due diligence before working with any technology firm, but managing the risk involved is workable for them and their regulators. “There have always been emerging technologies. We look at what our resources are and can we do the mitigation. It’s understanding how the tools are going to work. We walk through the litany of activities. At the end of day, I, as a regulator, am trying to provide the regulatory framework for folks who take on these tools,” said Hood. The friendly hacker Hackers know just how to adapt, evolve and harness any new technology that is out in the world. That was the message delivered during Tuesday’s virtual keynote address by Keren Elazari, an internationally recognized cyber security analyst, author and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity field. Known as “the friendly hacker,” Elazari said she has devoted her life to exposing and fixing security vulnerabilities and problems. Elazari explained that while most of us are used to attacks through methods such as email phishing by now, hackers continue to evolve, and credit unions must be prepared. “The most sophisticated attacks will target remote access tools like VPNs and network routers, taking advantage of tools like remote desktop protocols and remote connection passwords we’ve all come to rely on in recent years,” said Elazari. PSCU, the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO), has announced three current Owner credit unions headquartered in the Northeast have expanded their partnerships with the CUSO. Arrha Credit Union, CHROME Federal Credit Union (CHROME) and North Jersey Federal Credit Union (NJFCU) have all added debit processing support to their current services. “At PSCU, we are honored to continue growing our Owner credit union base in the Northeast through the expansion of these partnerships,” said Chris Gunnare, SVP, chief sales officer at PSCU. “It is a testament to the trust and value placed in us when existing Owners choose to expand their relationship, and we could not be prouder to have the opportunity to help these credit unions elevate and enhance their offerings and member experiences.” Holding more than $140 million in assets and headquartered in Springfield, Mass., Arrha Credit Union selected PSCU for debit processing support due to the quality of service it has been receiving from the CUSO for credit card processing since 2016. PSCU will begin providing debit services to Arrha Credit Union’s more than 9,000 members in mid 2023. “At the core of our credit union, we are dedicated to member service. When we choose to partner with an organization, we take the time to ensure its member service is of the same caliber,” said Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union. “We have experienced that best-in-class service in all of our dealings with PSCU, so it made the decision to expand our partnership an easy one.” Headquartered in Washington, Pa., CHROME’s ultimate goal was to unify debit and credit offerings for its 15,000 members. The credit union found an integrated solution in PSCU following a successful credit program run. PSCU will begin providing debit processing support to CHROME – which holds approximately $181 million in assets – and its members in October 2023. “We were looking for a partner that could blend technical capabilities with a human touch for an unparalleled member experience,” said Bob Flanyak, CEO of CHROME. “PSCU has demonstrated its ability to improve the performance of our credit portfolio through our current collaboration, and the entire team has exhibited a vested interest in our current and future success.” NJFCU, based out of Totowa, N.J., was seeking a partner to help modernize its digital banking services through the use of cutting-edge technology. Having already partnered with PSCU for credit card processing support, NJFCU was impressed with the CUSO’s innovative digital offerings and chose to build on that relationship. PSCU will begin providing debit processing in August 2022, as well as digital banking services through PSCU’s Lumin Digital. “As a long-term partner, PSCU has continuously provided our members and internal staff with seamless, integrated services, so we felt confident in our decision to work with PSCU on additional offerings,” said Anna Lo, president and CEO of NJFCU. “We are grateful to the whole PSCU team for facilitating a smooth transition for each of our members.” After three consecutive years of loan and membership growth which has led to over $1 billion in asset holdings and over 50,000 members served, UCU is announcing a new organizational structure to support continued growth and maintain executive leadership alignment with member values. The restructuring includes several new hires and internal promotions to the executive team. “University Credit Union always puts people first. Whether it’s our members, staff, or university partners, UCU grows because of the important contributions from our community ” Dr. David Tuyo II says. “We are thrilled to welcome some new team members and even more excited to see the promotion of some valuable players.” University Credit Union is proud to announce the following promotions and hires:
Joining current Executive Leadership Team members:
Each new member of the executive team brings extensive experience and unique qualities to the organization and will provide crucial support for the continued growth and success of UCU in 2022 and beyond. Glia, the leading provider of Digital Customer Experience has partnered with LemonadeLXP, creators of Digital Academy, a digital adoption platform for the financial services industry. LemonadeLXP’s Digital Academy is the world’s fastest way to create a branded, searchable, hub with technology walkthroughs to support customers and staff in the flow of work. The partnership empowers contact center representatives to search, and share, relevant interactive technology walkthroughs from within the Glia’s leading Digital Customer Service (DCS) platform. The technology walkthroughs will help agents and customers/members get on the same page quickly, shorten handling time, and improve both the employee and customers/member experience. “Most of us have first-hand knowledge of both sides of the support experience; either as a customer, or in supporting parents, friends or colleagues with an issue. These experiences can be frustrating for the customer, and stressful for the agent”, says LemonadeLXP CEO, John Findlay. “This partnership is about improving both the employee and customer experience. Providing agents with a searchable repository of technology walkthroughs will help them provide better customer support, faster.” “In today’s digital-first world, the employee experience is highly connected to the customer experience, making it a top business priority. LemonadeLXP and Digital Academy provide valuable resources for customers representatives to learn company offerings, hone their expertise and even improve upon soft skills. Combined with Glia’s seamless Digital Customer Service platform, LemonadeLXP can help representatives gain knowledge and skills that ultimately enhance the digital customer experience,” said Steve Kaish, SVP of Alliances for Glia. Guadalupe Credit Union is expanding its already close partnership with Co-op Solutions, adding Co-op In-House Credit processing with a goal of streamlining operations and offering better member service. Co-op In-House Credit processing is part of Co-op’s ongoing commitment to creating connected solutions that deepen member engagement through payments. The service is credit union-hosted, and includes benefits such as card fulfillment, fraud prevention, loyalty programs and business intelligence. “We were looking for a way to streamline our processes and provide information to our staff faster,” said Tanya Romero, SVP/COO of Guadalupe. “We can improve service by being able to provide our members with accurate and up-to-date information, and allow more of our staff to answer member questions about their credit card transactions. We are restructuring how we handle credit cards today. Moving to In-House Credit processing as we renew our partnership with Co-Op will give us that capability.” In addition to In-House Credit processing, Guadalupe is expanding its relationship with Co-op with other new services. “We are very excited to provide our members with the Digital Card Issuance option, which will give them faster access to their credit line and make it easier to use,” said Romero. “We are also adding security with contactless cards, for those who prefer to use a plastic card versus digital.” Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Guadalupe (www.guadalupecu.org ) is a 74-year-old institution with $239 million in assets and more than 23,000 members. The credit union has seven locations in Northern New Mexico, all staffed by a nationally-certified Financial Coach. “We are dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable financial services to help low-income, low-wealth and other underserved communities,” said Romero. “We look forward to using services such as Co-op’s SmartGrowth consulting to help us better understand our card portfolio and improve our products.” “We appreciate the commitment to partnership Guadalupe maintains with Co-op,” said Matt Kardell, Chief Revenue Officer for Co-op. “In-House Credit processing solves real problems for both credit unions and cardholders. We are honored Guadalupe Credit Union has chosen us to provide insight and solutions to meet their member needs.” For more information on the Co-op ecosystem of financial technology products and services visit www.co-opfs.org/Solutions. Computer Services, Inc. (CSI) (OTCQX: CSVI), a leading provider of end-to-end fintech and regtech solutions, has been selected as one of the 2022 Best Places to Work in Illinois and Kentucky, ranking 7th and 22nd, respectively, in the large company category. The Best Places to Work in Illinois list is a project of the Daily Herald Business Ledger and Best Companies Group, and honors companies that benefit the state’s economy, workforce and businesses. The Best Places to Work in Kentucky list, an effort of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KYSHRM), recognizes companies for their commitment to workplace excellence. CSI has made Kentucky’s list for 10 straight years. “On behalf of the Kentucky Chamber and KYSHRM, we are thrilled that CSI has made this year’s Best Places to Work in Kentucky list and has also received their 10-year award for making the list each of the last 10 years – a big congratulations,” said Katie Raney, Director of Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management. With headquarters in Paducah, Kentucky, CSI employs nearly 1,300 individuals nationwide and delivers financial technology, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance solutions to financial institutions and corporate customers across the U.S. and 29 other countries. As a foundational component of its service-focused culture, CSI encourages employees to play an active role in their local communities by volunteering through its CSI Cares initiative. The program gives all employees paid time off to volunteer in a charitable capacity, such as participating in community service or supporting a nonprofit. “As a leading financial technology provider, we depend on the talent and determination of our employees to ensure our future success and the success of our customers,” said David Culbertson, CSI president and CEO. “Since CSI’s establishment in 1965, we have strived to build a people-centric company culture fully supports our staff. Being recognized as a Best Employer in Illinois and Kentucky is a testament to the hard work and dedication our team demonstrates every day.” For more information on the 2022 Best Places to Work in Illinois, visit BestPlacestoWorkinIL.com. To learn more about the 2022 Best Places to Work in Kentucky, visit bestplacestoworkkentucky.com. Cornerstone Resources and Cornerstone Foundation announce a new partnership with Credit Mountain, a fintech organization led by social entrepreneurs Nathan Pinto and Frank Santoni. Through this partnership, Cornerstone Resources will offer Credit Mountain’s groundbreaking technology to provide consumers with personalized credit-improvement plans through a mobile app. “The Credit Mountain service goes beyond monitoring,” said Cornerstone Resources Chief Revenue Officer Ryan Dold. “It equips users with the tools needed to improve their credit health. Credit unions can track members’ progress and make offers that help them achieve their financial goals.” The technology is now live and ready for prime time, and Cornerstone Resources is expanding the opportunity to include all credit unions. “This is Cornerstone Foundation’s first-ever fintech venture, which began with a successful joint pilot program and seven forward-thinking credit unions,” said Cornerstone Foundation Executive Director Courtney Moran. “The Foundation also led a grant-writing initiative to secure funding from CUNA Mutual Group Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and the William and Sylvia Zale Foundation, while also catching the attention of FINRA Foundation.” Pilot participants included Resource One Credit Union, WEOKIE Federal Credit Union, Allegiance Credit Union, Mobiloil Federal Credit Union, Communication Federal Credit Union, Beacon Federal Credit Union, and Santa Fe Credit Union. “The path to product market fit—finding the right product calibration for the right customer—is the narrow strait that few startups get through successfully,” said Credit Mountain cofounder and CEO Nathan Pinto. “Having the Foundation by our side for the journey helped us know where to look, who to ask, and most importantly, what to create. It’s unlikely we would have created a product that resonates so well with the credit union industry without our partnership with the Cornerstone Foundation.” “Credit Mountain blends the member-focus of credit unions with emerging technologies to deliver a personalized credit-improvement experience,” said cofounder and Chief Product Officer Frank Santoni. “We are grateful that the Cornerstone Foundation recognized the opportunity to partner with Credit Mountain.” “It is a natural fit when you consider that Credit Mountain shares the same DNA for social impact with the credit union movement,” said Dold. “Cornerstone Resources is aligned with Credit Mountain founders in believing this solution will help credit unions meet strategic goals such as acquiring new members, offering credit counseling at scale, and increasing and diversifying their loan portfolios.” Earlier this year, Pinto and Santoni established Credit Mountain as a credit union service organization. Now, in partnership with Cornerstone Resources, the Credit Mountain CUSO is extending its reach to credit unions across the country. Cornerstone member credit unions will be invited to attend an upcoming informational webinar about how they can make the most out of the Credit Mountain program. For more information, contact rdold@cornerstoneresources.coop. PSCU, the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO), is pleased to announce the return of its Credit Union Give Back Sweepstakes. For the third year in a row, the PSCU-sponsored rewards campaign will encourage card usage to increase member engagement and loyalty, all while giving back to the communities in which credit unions and their members live and work. Starting July 11 and running through Oct. 30, cardholders with credit union rewards points or a cash-back card must use their rewards card a minimum of four times per week (or participate in the alternate eligibility survey) to qualify for regular drawings. Beginning in late August, five members will be randomly selected each month to receive $5,000 to use as they please. In addition to the 20 individual sweepstakes winners, 10 credit unions will be randomly selected in October to receive $10,000 to donate to local charities of their choice. “We are thrilled to offer the Credit Union Give Back Sweepstakes to our participating credit unions and their members for the third consecutive year,” said Annie Cox, vice president, Loyalty Solutions at PSCU. “The credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ is firmly embedded in everything we do here at PSCU, and we are looking forward to seeing the positive impact this year’s sweepstakes will have on the relationships between our credit unions, their members and their communities.” All credit unions participating in PSCU’s points and rebate rewards programs are automatically enrolled in the campaign. For additional information about the Credit Union Give Back Sweepstakes, visit campaigns.pscu.com/cugivebacksweepstakes/. After recently converting 16 credit unions to its end-to-end digital service ecosystem, Bankjoy has renewed with six additional credit unions, pointing to credit unions’ commitment to delivering superior, modern digital experiences. Featuring a fast and seamless implementation process, Bankjoy’s modern banking technology continues to experience substantial growth. Supporting its rapid conversions is its close integration with Corelation’s KeyStone core platform. Bankjoy was recently named an official Corelation Certified Partner, which recognizes fintechs that have successfully interfaced with its KeyBridge API, as well as met Corelation’s guidelines. Credit unions who select core platforms that Bankjoy has integrated with its digital banking service have implemented Bankjoy in as little as 30 days with no disruption to member service. Among the credit unions to renew with Bankjoy are: ● Georgia Heritage FCU, based in Georgia with $118M in assets and 12,950+ members ● One Detroit Credit Union, based in Michigan with $56M in assets and 11,000+ members ● Advantage Plus FCU, based in Idaho with $136M in assets and 15,000+ members ● SafeAmerica Credit Union, based in California with $500M in assets and 35,000+ members ● Coca-Cola FCU, based in Georgia with $199M in assets and 14,000+ members ● CommunityWide FCU, based in Indiana with $400M in assets and 52,000+ members Minority-led One Detroit Credit Union is one of the six credit unions to renew. Formed in 1935 as the Detroit Newspaper Industrial Credit Union, One Detroit served the people who worked in the newspaper industry. In the 1970s, it changed its name to be more inclusive of other industries such as radio, television, printing and publishing. The credit union continued to expand, helping to fill the financial services gap within its communities. Today, it aims to unify the community of Detroiters by delivering outstanding services backed by modern banking technology like Bankjoy. Joumana Mcdad, EVP, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, of One Detroit, said, “We help people in our community who have been overlooked by the mainstream banking system by providing them with credible, fair and reasonably priced financial products and services. By working with Bankjoy, we are maintaining that commitment, ensuring that our members can bank how and when they want through the best digital tools available. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Bankjoy team.” “People of all ages prefer digital banking over in-person, but now there’s a large and growing customer segment that has no interest in branches at all, according to a survey from PwC. These digital natives now represent 32% of consumers,” says Michael Duncan, CEO of Bankjoy. Additionally, nontraditional banking providers like retailers and automakers are gaining traction, especially among younger consumers. In fact, 57% of millennials and 64% of Gen Z have a financial account with a nontraditional institution, and 17% of those banking with nontraditional financial institutions now identify them as their primary institution, double from just a year ago. “The increased interest in digital is not surprising, but financial institutions must keep pace with demand while also ensuring that their offerings are modern, seamless and deliver experiences that are not just consistent with, but better than their nontraditional bank competitors,” Duncan added. “To do so, credit unions like One Detroit and others are leveraging end-to-end digital service ecosystems to modernize the experience. As they continue to innovate, we are committed to supporting their journey towards digital transformation.” |
Author: Mike LawsonMarried to a most gorgeous and wonderful wife, raising 5 kiddos (including twins!), enjoy helping others tell their stories, and love surfing SoCal waves. Keep it simple. Archives
April 2024
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