International Credit Union Partnership Program Paves Way for Collaboration

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Sep 24, 2012, 01:15 ET

11 Sicredi executives "shadow" credit union staff in Texas

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Eleven credit union executives from Sicredi, a leading financial cooperative group in Brazil, left Texas Friday after spending three weeks here learning about the U.S. credit union system.

Political advocacy, lending, marketing, technology, risk management and social responsibility were among the areas of interest for the group.

The group of 11 mid- and upper-management staff was carefully chosen to participate in this customized and targeted learning experience – a key initiative of the World Council of Credit Unions international partnership program between the Texas Credit Union League (League) and Sicredi.

"Sicredi is a highly sophisticated organization, and I continue to be impressed with their forward-thinking strategy for growth and success," notes League president and CEO Dick Ensweiler. "The exchanges we have had thus far have been hugely successful and I'm confident that we will continue to engage in the sharing of best practices."

In addition to attending two of the League's conferences held earlier this month in San Antonio, as well as visiting two San Antonio-based credit unions – Security Service FCU and Generations FCU – the group of 11 Sicredi delegates were divided into three groups, with one group going to Houston, another group to Dallas and a third group to El Paso. Over the course of two weeks, the group "shadowed" credit union staff.

The Texas credit unions that hosted the Sicredi delegates over the next two weeks were:

Energy Capital CU (Houston)
Houston Police FCU
PrimeWay FCU (Houston)
Texas Trust CU (Mansfield)
Resource One CU (Dallas)
InTouch CU (Plano)
GECU (El Paso)
FirstLight FCU (El Paso)
OneSource FCU (El Paso)

Bruce Gillooly, vice president of Public Affairs with Security Service FCU, says it was a successful visit.

"We learned a lot from them and they learned a lot from us," says Gillooly. "It was a very worthwhile experience."

Jim Minge, president and CEO of Texas Trust CU, agrees.

"Sharing information about our operations with Sicredi executives is mutually beneficial to developing a stronger understanding of the needs of today's international consumer and building a better cooperative," says Minge. "By learning from each other, we all develop a stronger appreciation for the global financial market."

About Texas Credit Union League
The Texas Credit Union League is the state trade association serving more than 500 credit unions in Texas. Organized in 1934, the Texas Credit Union League supports credit unions, not-for-profit, member-owned, volunteer-directed cooperatives, which in turn are owned by over 7.4 million members. For more information, visit www.tcul.coop.

View photos here: www.tcul.coop/press.html

SOURCE Texas Credit Union League