8 Career Moves Include a New CFO at TruStage

Gerber Federal Credit Union ($235 million, Fremont, Mich.) promoted Jessica Broad to vice president – compliance and risk. Broad joined the credit union as part-time teller in 2005 and served as mortgage processor and compliance officer prior to becoming assistant vice president – compliance and risk management in 2021. In her new role, Broad will continue to lead the internal audit and compliance departments responsible for ensuring the strength of the compliance program, including policies and procedures that are designed to safeguard credit union assets and comply with all state, federal and local regulations. As a member of the Executive Leadership team, she will also participate in the strategic planning process, budget development, organizational development and annual operational plan development. She volunteers as a member of the Michigan Credit Union League State and Federal Issues Working Group. She also holds the Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation from America’s Credit Unions, as well as the Certified Compliance Officer (NCCO) and Certified Risk Manager (NCRM) certifications from NAFCU (now America’s Credit Unions).

Royal Credit Union ($5.3 billion, Eau Claire, Wis.) hired Jeni Groppoli as branch manager II at its White Bear Lake, Minn., office. In her new role, Groppoli is responsible for overseeing daily operations of the White Bear Lake office. She will also will provide guidance and development to team members, as well as engage with community members and local businesses. Groppoli brings 20 years of experience in the financial industry, having most recently served as a branch manager at US Bank.

SOUTH

Bill Connor, president/CEO for the $2.5 billion, Birmingham, Ala.-based America’s First Federal Credit Union (AmFirst), received Birmingham’s Top CEO award for companies with 300 or more employees from the Birmingham Business Journal in a ceremony on Dec. 5. This is the second consecutive year Connor was nominated and his first time winning the award. Connor’s career at AmFirst, formerly Iron and Steel Credit Union, began in 1980 while attending Birmingham-Southern College. Initially working in the Loan and Auditing departments, he transitioned into key leadership roles after graduation. Over the past 44 years, he has held numerous leadership positions, including serving as CFO and EVP. He was named president/CEO in 2011 and plans to retire in March 2025.

VENDORS

TruStage, the Madison, Wis.-based credit union insurance, investment and technology provider, hired Jon Winderman as CFO. Winderman replaces Laurie Winger, who is retiring at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years of service to the company. Winderman most recently served as the CFO of the Group Benefits division at Guardian Life. Previously, he served in CFO roles at Transamerica, New York Life and Cigna.

The New York, N.Y.-based customer interaction platform provider Glia hired Ray Hicken as executive channel advisor. In his new role, Hicken is fortifying and expanding Glia’s channel strategy, accelerating the company’s impact and reach in the voice and digital customer interaction space. Hicken brings decades of industry experience, having previously served as vice president of channel sales for North America at NICE. Prior to that, he led sales at CarrierSales, where he built the first-ever CX practice in the TSD channel at both CarrierSales and Telarus, which acquired CarrierSales in 2017. Hicken was subsequently named to the 2023 Top 20 UC/Contact Center Leaders and 2024 Channel Influencers of the Year by Channel Futures lists.