Just like the 14,000 member credit unions it supports, the WorldCouncil of Credit Unions in Madison, Wis., must intermittentlyreevaluate its structure and programs in order to best meet theneeds of those it serves. In September 2011, 22-year WOCCU veteranBrian Branch became president/CEO when Peter Crear retired, and theglobal trade association and development agency underwent areorganization, naming five priorities for its teams: membership expansion,deepening of global advocacy, project development, credit unionnetwork building, and international training and education.

Branch lists compliance burdens, multiple banking channelimplementation and effective product branding as some of theprimary challenges WOCCU is helping credit unions address worldwide. Using technology to help bring credit union services to ruralareas and low-income consumers is another priority for WOCCU, hesaid.

In recent interviews with Credit Union Times, Branch, as well asMichael Edwards, chief counsel and vice president for advocacy andgovernment affairs for WOCCU, and Victor Miguel Corro, vicepresident for WOCCU's Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions,explained WOCCU's latest projects and biggest challenges as theyrelate to the organization's five key priorities.

The first of WOCCU's five priorities is to add more groups toits network, and in the past year, WOCCU has welcomed the CentralAssociation of Savings and Credit Associations in Moldava, theFederacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito Financierasin Colombia, the Liberia Credit Union National Association, theCredit Union Direct Corp. in Ontario, Calif., CUSSCO Ltd. inScotland and COOMEVA in Colombia.

Branch said WOCCU has expanded its capacity to identify andmonitor key strategic issues, trends, challenges and best practicesfor its member groups and communicates this information to membergroups through a Web-based clearinghouse and issue-specificwebinars and workshops.

In the past year, member requests have centered on the Basel IIIregulatory standard and alternative capital models, collaborativebusiness models, innovative technology and mobile delivery offinancial services, messaging and branding, member businesslending, membership growth, and fee income controls and mergers,Branch noted.

Heavy involvement in regulations that affect the credit unionindustry worldwide is another priority for WOCCU, and theorganization works on issues from both ends–by influencingdecision-makers within governments and helping credit unionsunderstand and stay compliant with recently imposedregulations.

Branch said WOCCU's current regulatory activities includeengaging the Financial Action Task Force, International AccountingStandards Board, Bank for International Settlements, EuropeanUnion, Group of Twenty, the IRS and the CFPB in policy discussions,as well as supporting credit union representation in Brussels,Belgium via the European Network of Credit Unions.

“We identify the upcoming policy standards from these bodies,advance this information and analysis to our members, collect inputfrom our members and communicate with these bodies on how specificstandards will impact credit unions,” Branch said.

Edwards, who joined WOCCU in January 2012 after spending sevenyears in CUNA's legal department, has been traveling regularly thisyear for various advocacy projects, including to Madrid, Spain, tomake recommendations to the Financial Action Task Force onanti-money laundering standards and to Dublin, Ireland to voiceopinions on a proposed law that prohibits certain individuals frombecoming credit union directors.

“Compliance burdens are a common challenge for credit unions,especially if they have few resources,” Edwards said. “We want tomake sure boards are knowledgeable of the issues and developguidance for credit unions. For example, loan-loss accountingdoesn't happen the right way in a lot of countries, and that leadsto inaccurate accounting and other problems. It's important forcredit unions to have public trust and a level of supervision inplace.” 

WOCCU's projects typically entail helping credit unions aroundthe world strengthen their management, introduce downstreamprojects and reach marginal populations, Branch said. While WOCCUis rarely involved in launching new credit unions, it's currentlydoing so in Afghanistan. Branch said after the fall of the Taliban,government officials in Afghanistan invited WOCCU to set up creditunions and design Islamic banking products. The country now hasaround 98,000 credit union members, and WOCCU even helped get somewomen elected to the credit unions' boards.

“We found that the credit union model fit well in Afghanistan,because it's community-driven,” Branch said.

In order to expand their reach and meet consumer demands formultiple banking channels, credit unions must invest in newtechnology, even if they have few resources, Branch pointed out. Tosolve this dilemma, WOCCU is helping credit unions pool theirresources to create national networks, establish collaborativebusiness systems and develop mobile technology. For example, theorganization is working with credit unions and associations in anumber of countries to build electronic credit union networks,providing technical assistance for savings and credit products thattarget low-income communities, and working with local telephonecompanies to develop mobile banking solutions.

Branch said while utilizing collaborative technology solutionsis a great option for credit unions with few resources, it'simportant for them to display individualism in their brandingefforts to stay competitive. WOCCU is currently helping tofacilitate 53 British credit unions' conversion onto a dataprocessing system through a collaborative platform that also allowseach credit union to maintain a distinctive online look.

“The recent drive for giving credit unions the ability toprovide technology solutions that can bring their services to ruraland low-income communities has been very exciting,” he said.

Corro, a native of Panama who has been with WOCCU for 14 years,leads the organization's training and education efforts, throughwhich credit union professionals around the world learn from oneanother to enrich their own programs at home. He's currentlyfocusing on three initiatives: the international partnershipprogram, a peer-to-peer collaboration program that unites creditunions from different countries; customized international training,which brings together credit unions that do not have establishedinternational partnerships; and the international credit unionleadership program, an internship program funded by the U.S.Department of State that temporarily places young professionals incredit unions overseas.

“Credit unions are always ready to open their doors and showtheir peers how to do things,” Corro said.

Two of the biggest challenges Corro said he faces in WOCCU'straining and education department are persuading credit unions toinvest in education programs and finding young people toparticipate in the programs.

“My job is to convince people to go and see what other creditunions are doing, because when they do, they learn at least onething,” he said. “We also want to engage young people, because theyhave fresh ideas. We want to them to be enthused, and stay in thecredit union industry and make careers out of it.”

Branch concluded that going into his second year as CEO, WOCCUwill continue focusing on the past year's priorities as well as onacquiring donor funding for projects.

“We want to build that World Council sense of community and helpcredit unions connect with one another,” he said. “A lot of that isin messaging, branding and expressing what we have to offer toconsumers.”