CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • 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
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » ‘Ask and listen’
Leadership

‘Ask and listen’

Be the CEO of your personal journey, advises Mark Volz.

June 9, 2021
Mark Volz
One Comment
Career advice for young professionals

Mark Volz, Corporate Central Credit Union

I am a reformed banker and was doing commercial lending for a community bank in southeast Wisconsin. An old middle school friend was the financial analyst at Guardian Credit Union in Oak Creek, Wis., and he said they were looking for a new commercial loan officer.

A few weeks earlier, the bank’s loan committee turned down a business loan when we could have easily lowered the customer’s interest rate and cleaned up some other outstanding debt. After that, I knew I needed to get out.

When the opportunity presented itself at Guardian Credit Union, I took it. Within a few weeks, I was in charge of the entire business lending department.

Our philosophy is “people helping people.” I have always tried to make this world a better place for my friends, family, and community. Volunteering and helping others were ingrained in me at a young age, as I saw my father volunteer on many nonprofit boards.

Eventually, I joined a board and started volunteering whenever I could. When I found out credit unions are here to help members with their finances and improve their quality of life, you had me at “people helping people.”

I have received a lot of great advice over the years, but the best is from my mentor, Bill Kennedy, chief financial officer at Securityplus Federal Credit Union in Baltimore. We are a part of the African American Credit Union Coalition's Mentorship Program.

One lesson Bill instilled in me is that I am the CEO of the Mark Volz personal service corporation, and I must have an entrepreneurial mindset and own my journey. The second is, "see what no one else sees.”

We must see the world anew each day and look at things from a new perspective. This has helped me with my professional journey.

The best career advice I have for other young professionals is “never be too proud to ask for help.” As Antonio Neves shares, “No one great got there alone.”

We want to think we have all the answers and we can do it ourselves, but we don’t and we can't unless we want to get burned out. Many credit union leaders can share knowledge with us, so ask and listen.

They also want us to succeed because we will keep credit unions alive for the next 20 years and beyond.

MARK VOLZ is relationship development manager at Corporate Central Credit Union in Muskego, Wis.


CUYP
This article is part of #CUYP: Credit Union Young Professionals, CUNA News' special focus on young professionals in the credit union movement. Use the hashtag #CUYP to join the conversation on Twitter.


KEYWORDS #CUYP DEI young professionals

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • House passes CUNA, League-led board modernization bill

  • CFPB issues CUNA-opposed proposal on credit card late fees

  • Key committee leaders supportive of credit union priorities

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Vote for the 2023 CU Hero of the Year

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and 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

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us