Discovering opportunities to transform

Mike London has had an impressive career progression at Georgia United Credit Union during the past decade. London, chief transformation and strategy officer at the $2 billion asset credit union in Duluth, Ga., joined Georgia United in 2014 as chief lending officer—and saw “a green field of opportunity” from the start.

London led the creation of a consumer loan department, enhanced the credit union’s mortgage operations, and built a loan trading desk. He also spearheaded the design and development of an in-house consumer loan origination system that improved Georgia United’s automated decisioning ratio by more than 700%.

While chief lending officer, London served as chair of the CUNA Lending Council Executive Committee from 2017 to 2018. “Leading a group of volunteers has served as a foundational leadership experience for me, and is among my favorite career contributions,” he says. “CUNA Councils are one of the finest examples of the power of our cooperative movement.”

London completed his MBA in 2016 at Georgia Tech, where his studies focused on the management of technology and innovation.

He transitioned to his current role in 2018, and is now responsible for corporate strategy, marketing, project management, process improvement, real estate acquisition, and business intelligence.

“This has afforded me the opportunity to take my favorite parts of being a chief lending officer—designing products and services, creating and improving business models, and helping the organization establish and achieve its vision—and apply those skills to the whole organization,” he says.

Throughout his career, London has worked with outstanding leaders who have given him opportunities to add value and grow as a leader and teammate. He’s also led highly motivated teams “who put the needs of our members and communities first.”

“While I’m proud of my accomplishments and the contributions I’ve made to the success of my credit union, there’s so much opportunity and work to do,” says London. A former touring musician and songwriter, he leads Georgia United’s in-house rock band, You’re On Mute. The group started recording songs virtually to build and sustain the credit union’s culture and connect with colleagues during the pandemic.

“I feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I’d like to accomplish in the areas of creating greater access to financial services for all, improving banking experiences for our members, and maximizing the impact credit unions can have on the communities they serve,” he says.