BANKING & FINANCE
{ CREDIT UNIONS } HARRY MATEER
CEO Altier Credit Union altiercu.org
Mateer became president and CEO of Altier in 2007. He had previously served as the senior vice president and CFO for Altier. The board of directors said it selected Mateer based on its assessment that he was the most capable in leading the company and accomplishing its goals. In his role, Mateer manages the strategic direction of the organization and oversees all departments and branches. He was elected to the Association of Financial Professionals Top 300 in 2004-05. Mateer currently serves on the board of the Credit Union Financial Network, a credit union service organization based in Arizona, and as a member on the FirstCorp board of directors. Mateer graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., with a B.A. in economics and earned an MBA from Kent State University.
ROBERT MACGREGOR President and CEO Credit Union West cuwest.org
Prior to the start of his business career, MacGregor was a carpenter building homes and commercial buildings. Following an injury, MacGregor started college at age 36 and obtained a degree in accounting. He started his business career as a CPA auditor who audited credit unions. MacGregor was recruited by one of his clients, Credit Union West, for the CFO position. In 2009, he was promoted to president and CEO. Toughest challenge: “The biggest challenge as a new CEO was all the turmoil created by the downturn in the economy in 2008. We overcame the negative economy by focusing on excellent customer service and that was the key to customer retention. We worked with our members and we all got through it together.” Business advice: “Happy employees make happy customers.”
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TODD PEARSON
President and CEO Arizona Central Credit Union azcentralcu.org Pearson has been with Arizona Central Credit Union since 2002, promoted into the role of president and CEO in 2009, and has enjoyed an 18-year history in the credit union industry. He serves on two not-for-profit boards and has a commitment to volunteerism, financial literacy and gifting. Toughest challenge: “I took leadership at the height of the great recession. Lots of tough decisions – not the least of which was a reduction in force. It was hard to reinforce that these were the correct decisions to be made and that our credit union would bounce back stronger than ever.” Business advice: “Stay true to your core beliefs. Don’t overreact to the highs and lows that come with the changes in the economic environment, because odds are it will change very soon.”
PRESTON SANDERS President and CEO AERO Federal Credit Union aerofed.net
After earning a degree in business/economics from Illinois College in 1982, Sanders moved to Phoenix and began his career in lending with Household Finance and Manufacturers Hanover before moving into the credit union industry. Toughest challenge: “Over the course of my years, I have been told on a number of occasions that something wasn’t or isn’t possible or unobtainable. In each of those cases, I’ve been able to overcome the obstacles and have persevered to reach those personal goals.” Childhood aspirations: “I wanted to be a veterinarian. After two summers of working directly with a vet in the fields and farms, I realized that the hours were long, the work was dirty and difficult, and working with needles made me queasy. I learned that I was much more comfortable working with money.”
RONALD WESTAD
President and CEO Arizona Federal Credit Union arizonafederal.org When Westad took over as CEO of Arizona Federal Credit Union in 1996, the credit union’s assets totaled $400 million. Westad has helped the credit union more that triple its total assets and now serves more than 125,000 members and employs more than 400 people at 18 branches. He has been with the credit union since 1988, when he was hired as vice president and controller. The credit union traces its history back to 1936 when it was chartered as Phoenix City Employees Credit Union. Surprising fact: “I ran a courier service with a friend of mine, delivering documents to lawyers, accountants and title insurance companies while earning my bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting and finance from the University of New Mexico.”