Credit Union Leaders Urged To Put Governance Ahead Of M&A, AI
By CU Today Staff —
AUSTIN, Texas—Credit unions should have the right strategy and governance in place before jumping into a merger or expanding their use of artificial intelligence, industry leaders told more than 200 financial professionals at ALM First's 2026 Financial Forum.
Executives from Ascend Federal Credit Union and Wings Credit Union said during an M&A panel that successful deals start well before formal merger talks, with a clear strategy and strong governance framework. They also emphasized assessing cultural fit and using the right outside expertise to help transactions deliver maximum value to members.
AI readiness took center stage during a separate discussion featuring Amanda Licona-Crocker of Swivel, Mike Atkins of Invictus Advisors and Kathy Courtney of Opmodi. The panelists encouraged credit unions to form AI governance or steering committees to establish guardrails and conduct AI maturity assessments that can help institutions build sustainable strategies aligned with their values instead of simply adopting new technology.
The conference also examined succession planning, with Deedee Myers, PhD and CEO of DDJ Myers, an ALM First Company, discussing best practices for developing future leaders. Jared Freeman, CEO of OnPath Federal Credit Union, joined Myers to share a case study on connecting succession planning with organizational strategy and developing leadership bench strength to support longer-term growth.
The sold-out, three-day event drew more than 200 financial professionals and offered separate education tracks for executives and board members on asset-liability management, hedging, investments, governance and other issues.
Explore all of the educational resources ALM First offers by visiting almfirst.com. The 2027 ALM First Financial Forum will be held next September in Santa Barbara, Calif., at The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara. Financial professionals interested in attending the 2027 conference are encouraged to complete an Early Interest Form and plan ahead to join ALM First next year.
Originally reported by CU Today.