CUNA
  • Advocacy
    • Priorities we’re fighting for
    • Actions you can take
  • News
  • Learn
  • Compliance
  • Shop
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • COVID-19
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Contact
Learn More about Member Value

News

Member Benefits
Learn more
Learn more about the benefits of membership.
Home » PODCAST: Hands-on experience paves way to CEO chair
Podcast Management

PODCAST: Hands-on experience paves way to CEO chair

Jason Peach's exposure to many facets of CU operations served him well.

July 6, 2017
One Comment
Jason Peach

At face value, Jason Peach followed a natural credit union career ascension from chief financial officer (CFO) to CEO.

But his path also involved hands-on experience in many facets of credit union operations, and he couldn’t be more grateful for the perspective he gained as a result.

“I had a mentor who would not let me come in to the accounting space without first going out into the retail environment,” Peach tells the CUNA News Podcast. “He said, ‘You're going to learn to lend. That's our core business. You're going to serve members. You're going to manage people on the retail side, which is a very different environment.’”

Gaining a holistic perspective of the business certainly benefited Peach, who in January 2016 moved up from CFO to CEO of West Community Credit Union in O’Fallon, Mo.

An active CUNA CFO Council member for 13 years, Peach has emphasized the importance of innovation and continuous improvement in his new role.

That focus stems from his experience with the Filene Research Institute’s i3 program and advice from his predecessor at West Community, 41-year CEO Gary Hinrichs.

“He would say, ‘It's not the big who will eat the small. It's the quick who will eat the slow,’” Peach says. “We’re going to be quick and agile.”

In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, Peach—who got his start in credit unions in college as a teller at a student-run credit union—discusses some of the initiatives West Community has launched under his leadership, including a storefront revolving solely around mortgages.

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple's iTunes Store, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.

KEYWORDS CEO CFO credit union leadership Podcast

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine - Winter 2020

Winter 2020

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2020 edition features CUNA’s 2021 lending outlook, CEO insights on adjusting to the pandemic, and board recruitment strategies.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Compliance: 2020 Year in Review, Checklist now available

  • CUNA sends recommendations to incoming Biden administration

  • Compliance: NCUA, agencies issue FAQs on SAR, other AML requirements

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Will you ask employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine?

View Results
More

Champion of America’s Credit Unions

Credit Union National Association is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Recommended Websites
  • Privacy Policy

Resources for

  • CUNA Board Members
  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Vendors