KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Are You Still Relevant?
(aka “How to win more market share in a recovering economy.”)
Ross Shafer, Ross Shafer Seminars, Parker, CO

We all saw globally-recognized brands shrink or die during the recession. Conversely, we witnessed young, nimble companies swoop in to dominate market share.

Could that happen to you? Ross dissects the reasons for the staggering success stories—and he pinpoints the warning signs that were ignored by those who failed.

Remaining Relevant (to your customers and team members) is the ONLY way to substantially grow your organization during a recovery. If you’re relevant, you can take market share away from your competition. But it won't be easy. You will have to accelerate your "A" Game to earn that market share. And, you will have to re-double your efforts to retain the base you already have. Ross unveils inspiring case studies that span the landscape of retail, manufacturing, B2B, construction, and healthcare. He describes what it will take for your organization to reap incredible rewards during “The Recovery."

Seemingly Outrageous: Five New Strategies to Fire Up Lending – Now!              
Randy Harrington, President, Extreme Arts & Sciences, Eugene, OR

We all know the old bad news; low volume, thin margins, high risk, more competition blah blah blah.  Now here is the new bad news: the market isn’t coming back. There will be no “return to normal.” Call it what you want, an inflection point, a tipping point, a transformation—but the writing on the all is clear: innovate, adapt, or fade away.

Now for the good news: The strategic capability that we call “lending” is essential to every “future ready” consumer enterprise. The skills and knowledge present in successful credit union lending departments can be successfully leveraged in dozens of ways that mean business for you and your members. In other words, you have all the ingredients you need to win the future, but the recipe is going to be different.

Join Randy Harrington Ph.D. for a discussion of five clear and specific strategies that can reinvent lending practices and drive measurable results right away. Be warned however, at first glance these strategies are seemingly outrageous. But on further examination, the logic and the potential shine through. Topics we will cover include:

• “Location Aware Lending”: Discover a new way to develop and market lending products that “sell themselves.”
• “Experience Lending”: Deliver lending products to members to drive consumer experiences—not just product acquisition.
• “Eco-System Lending” Make loans as a part of a more comprehensive financial well-being resource for members. 
• “Generation Lending”: Discover why seniors may be the hot new lending market.
• Leveraging community connections with “Local Trending Lending.”

Says Harrington, “If the strategies you are considering aren’t seemingly outrageous at first glance—you are not thinking hard enough, not pushing the innovation envelope enough.” If you are willing to let go of the idea that everything will be OK if we just hang on, Harrington can show you specific paths to reimagine the potential of your lending resources and new ways to deliver an incredible member experience.

Leadership Strategies for a New Era
Mark Sievewright, President, CU Solutions Group, FiServ, Brookfield, WI

There’s a transformation underway in the U.S. financial services industry. Driven by profound changes in the economy, consumer demographics, the regulatory environment and technology, this transformation will have a dramatic effect on how credit unions do business and how they strategize and collaborate around products, services, and information. Credit union members - businesses and consumers, alike - are redefining what it means to be empowered and connected through a growing array of electronic devices and applications. Additionally, new generations of consumers are bringing with them new preferences, new thinking and new ways of doing business. This session will highlight the changes underway, the implications for credit unions and the leadership strategies they need to pursue.