The CUInsight Experience

Ken Cahoon - Perfecting the Process (#86)

August 14, 2020 CUInsight / Ken Cahoon Season 2 Episode 86
The CUInsight Experience
Ken Cahoon - Perfecting the Process (#86)
Show Notes

“Save people money, increase their buying power, and enhance their lives.” - Ken Cahoon

Thank you for tuning in to episode 86 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by our friends at PSCU. As the nation's premier payments CUSO, PSCU proudly supports the success of more than 1,500 credit unions.

With more and more members opting to forgo the traditional branch experience, credit unions must be strategic in their efforts to provide great member service going forward. To learn more about how credit unions are tackling this complex issue and more, I’m sitting down with Ken Cahoon, President and CEO of Democracy Federal Credit Union in Alexandria, Virginia. Ken and I talk about many of the changes Ken has seen in credit unions and what he thinks we all need to do to stay relevant in this disruptive time, both from a member service and employee standpoint.

While relatively new to the CEO position, Ken and I talk about the struggles of leading through a crisis and what he believes is the best way to keep everyone calm and focused. Ken shares some of the work he and his team are doing to overcome many of the challenges their members are facing. We also discuss the need for credit union’s to think more holistically about their members from a financial counselor’s perspective. 

Ken and I also discuss how he got to the CEO chair and what he has learned from each step along the way. He talks about why he took the position at Democracy Federal Credit Union, the phrase his team hears him say all the time, and some of the mistakes he's made along the way. He also shares an important life lesson that he learned from his father that has stuck with him to this day.

In the rapid-fire section of the show, we find out that Ken was an NFL player for a day, that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up, and that his dad is the first person who comes to mind when he hears the word success. Ken has a passion for his credit union and it really comes through during this conversation. Enjoy! 

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com

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Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List 

How to find Ken:
Ken Cahoon, President and CEO of Democracy Federal Credit Union
kcahoon@democracyfcu.org
www.democracyfcu.org
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