Julie Esser

Q: How long have you and your company been with AFT?

CUNA Strategic Services (CSS) has been a member of AFT for just over a year. CUNA Strategic Services is a for-profit subsidiary of the Credit Union National Association, the largest trade association that serves all credit unions in the United States. CSS evaluates the needs of the credit union marketplace and find third-party relationships to meet those needs, and offer value back to credit unions. One of our alliance providers –Perimeter eSecurity – has been a member of AFT for some time. It was through their encouragement we decided to join for the first year.

Q: Who would you say would benefit from AFT?

Anyone who wants to stay on top of what is going on in the industry, who is seeking advice for any challenges that may be affecting their business, and who wants to develop relationships with companies that might be critical to their business success.

Q: What makes AFT so special?

For me, it’s the networking and collaboration. CSS joined AFT just over a year ago with the encouragement of a current member who spoke very highly of the organization. I wasn’t even familiar with AFT until that time. At the first event I attended, I was a bit skeptical because of the high expectations I had. I walked away with AFT not only meeting but also exceeding my expectations. It’s a very unique group. I was enthralled with all the collaboration and networking. Everyone was so welcoming, and they wanted to learn more about credit unions and CUNA. It was an incredible experience.

Q: You have a lot of resources within the industry and a lot of contacts you’ve made throughout your career. How would you rank AFT in terms of industry resources?

I rank it on top of a must-have resource list. It is one that I plan on being active in for many years to come. I think it is critical for the AFT members to understand credit unions, which are different than other financial service providers. My goal is to be able to educate the membership on the credit union industry. Also, to leverage networking capabilities between those companies and our organization, and develop relationships those credit unions may need now and in the future.

Q: When is a good time for a company to join AFT?

I think a company can reap the benefit of AFT at any time. Startup companies can receive immediate benefits just from the relationships they can develop, especially if their products require connectivity with core processors. And as a company grows and
matures, those relationships will be longstanding for years to come. From an advocacy standpoint, CUNA’s lobbyists are interested in learning from AFT members on what’s happening in technology and the financial impact that potential regulatory changes would have on our credit unions.

Q: Why should another company that is working with financial institutions in the technical space join AFT? What would you tell the CEO of that company about why it should?

At CSS, we speak with companies daily that are interested in promoting their products and services to the credit union market. In continue to emphasize the development of new relationship with member companies, especially those that rely on connectivity with the cores. The AFT member organizations are critical to credit unions’ success in the future.