Growing FourLeaf FCU With Sustainability & Member-Centricity

Age: 53

Number of years at current credit union: Four

CU Times: What is your educational background?

Cooper: I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from Rutgers University. My education gave me a strong analytical foundation, but my leadership philosophy has been shaped just as much by real-world experience, learning on the job, being mentored by strong leaders and navigating periods of growth, challenges and transformation throughout my career.

CU Times: What are your key responsibilities in your current role?

Cooper: As Chief Banking Officer, I'm responsible for setting and executing FourLeaf's enterprise banking strategy, with a strong focus on deposit growth, member experience and long-term sustainability. I oversee retail banking, business banking, payments and financial advisory services, while partnering closely with marketing, technology, risk and operations. A core part of my role is aligning strategy with execution, ensuring that what we design on paper translates into measurable outcomes for members, employees and the communities we serve.

CU Times: What drew you to the credit union industry?

Cooper: After spending much of my career in large financial institutions, I was drawn to the credit union industry because of its purpose. The cooperative model allows you to pursue strong financial performance while remaining deeply grounded in service, trust and community impact. I saw an opportunity to bring the discipline, scale thinking and execution rigor of large banks into an organization whose mission genuinely centered on improving members' lives.

CU Times: What unique skills, experience and attributes do you bring to your role?

Cooper: I bring a blend of enterprise-scale leadership experience and hands-on operating discipline. I've led large, geographically diverse teams; driven turnarounds; built new businesses; and executed complex transformations across retail banking, business banking and payments. Just as importantly, I'm deeply focused on people and developing leaders, creating accountability with empathy, and building cultures where teams feel both challenged and supported.

CU Times: Which person (or people) do you credit the most for helping and supporting you along your career journey?

Cooper: I've been fortunate to work alongside many talented and driven leaders, several of whom I consider mentors and role models. However, the most impactful support throughout my career has come from my wife, Elise, and our five children. They are wonderful, unique individuals who motivate and inspire me daily, keep me grounded and remind me what truly matters!

CU Times: What are some of the biggest differences between working in your current executive level role and your previous, non-executive roles?

Cooper: At the executive level, the scope of responsibility is much broader and more nuanced. Decisions are less about solving isolated problems and more about balancing long-term strategy, culture, risk and sustainability. You also become far more aware of how decisions ripple across the organization, impacting people, performance and trust.

CU Times: What's a challenge you faced when you first joined your executive team, and how did you overcome it?

Cooper: One early challenge was driving meaningful change at the necessary pace while honoring an existing culture that employees cared deeply about. I focused on listening first, understanding what worked, what mattered to people and where the organization wanted to go. Building trust through transparency, consistency and follow-through helped create alignment and momentum over time.

CU Times: How would you describe your current leadership style?

Cooper: My leadership style is collaborative, accountable and people centered. I set clear direction and high standards while empowering leaders closest to the work to make decisions and drive results. I believe the best outcomes come when people feel trusted, supported and aligned around a shared purpose.

CU Times: What are some lessons you've learned over your career concerning how to communicate well with others?

Cooper: One of my favorite sayings, and one I firmly believe, is that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Effective communication starts with understanding what matters to people and having empathy for their past experiences, which often shape their perspective. Once you truly understand, you can deliver your message authentically and in a way that connects. Just as important, communication must be reinforced through action. Teams pay far more attention to what you do than what you say. I've learned to lead from the front and model the behaviors and values I expect, because actions always speak louder than words.

CU Times: What are some ways in which you achieve work/life balance, set boundaries and/or avoid burnout at work?

Cooper: I'm intentional about setting boundaries, prioritizing family and health, and building strong, capable teams so responsibility is shared. Trusting others and empowering leaders not only strengthens the organization but also creates space for balance and sustainability for everyone.

CU Times: What's next for you on your executive career journey? Do you have any specific career goals you're working toward?

Cooper: My focus is on continuing to help FourLeaf Federal Credit Union grow in a sustainable, member-centric way. I'm also interested in expanding my impact through broader enterprise leadership and potential board service, where I can contribute experience, perspective and purpose.

CU Times: What big-picture impact do you hope to make within your credit union, as well as for your members and community?

Cooper: I hope to help build a credit union that is financially strong, culturally healthy and deeply trusted by its members. Most importantly, I want to make a meaningful difference in people's lives by helping members achieve financial stability, confidence and long-term success.

CU Times: What career advice would you give your younger self?

Cooper: People are the most important priority as a leader. Invest in individuals and build long-term and lasting relationships. Be bold! Stay curious, learn new things, and challenge yourself to grow and develop every day. Stay true to your values, work hard, deliver results and trust in God. Everything else will fall into place.

Would you or someone you know like to share your journey to credit union leadership? Please reach out to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com. To qualify, the individual must be a part of a credit union's leadership team or C-suite, and have a compelling story to share about their rise to their current leadership role.