At CO-OP’s annual THINK conference, I hosted one of the pre-conference THINK Inward tracks, entitled “THINK Fast, Brilliant & Connected.” I think this is an important topic for credit unions, and I was really happy to be able to be a part of this conversation at THINK. We definitely had some provocative conversations.

1. The three P’s: products, processes, and partners that make your staffs’ lives easier will make for a better member experience. The track kicked off with Lois Hansen, Vice President of Product Development (and my boss) exploring, at a high level, CO-OP’s product plan. She gave attendees a preview of what’s coming from CO-OP, and why. Lois also gave a little insight into CO-OP’s product strategy and how it connects to the member experience.
2. It’s easier than turning lead into gold. Our second speaker was Stephen Bohannon, Founder, Chief Strategy and Sales Officer at Alkami Technology. Stephen is a master at breaking down members’ experience expectations, specifically into the digital space. He dove in to how credit unions can position themselves to meet and exceed member expectations, while engaging with them on a deeper and more meaningful level.
3. Shake it off. Andrew Downin, Innovation Director at Filene was our third speaker in this track. Andrew leads Filene’s prestigious I³ program as well as the testing of its product, service, and business model ideas. He shared with us Filene’s framework for innovation as well as some well-learned lessons on product management.

The sessions wrapped up with a roundtable discussion, moderated by yours truly, and included all of the track’s speakers plus two credit union executives and Brian Porter, Director of Business Development at Diebold. This was the opportunity to ask pointed questions of our panelists, and them of each other. These roundtable discussions are always entertaining, and my hope was that everyone left with actionable insights that can be put into motion back home.