This week, Financial Center Interim President and CEO Kevin Ryan is on the ground in Poland, taking part in the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ Global Bridges Study Tour – a hands-on, cross-cultural collaboration designed to strengthen the global credit union movement.
Ryan joins representatives from the United States, Ireland, and Ukraine in meeting with Poland’s National Association of Cooperative Savings and Credit Unions (NACSCU) and Kasa Stefczyka, the country’s largest credit union. Together, the group is exchanging strategies on open banking, regulatory partnerships, and how cooperatives can support displaced populations – including Ukrainian refugees.
As part of the agenda, Ryan is delivering a presentation on the U.S. credit union system and taking part in the signing of an International Cooperative Agreement that formalizes collaboration with partner credit unions in Ireland and Ukraine.
“This week reminds me how much we have to learn from each other,” said Ryan. “Whether you’re in Indiana or Europe, the mission is the same: improve lives through financial access and support.”
Back in Indiana, Financial Center has also invested in global connection through its sponsorship of WFCU’s Find Your Pen Pal Around the Credit Union World initiative – a virtual experience pairing professionals across continents in speed-networking sessions designed to build shared insight and support.
“At Financial Center, we believe that if we can impact a person, we can impact families and communities – and even the world,” Ryan shared. “Through this kind of global engagement, we’re living our mission of people helping people in a new and exciting way.”
These efforts are part of Financial Center’s ongoing commitment to inclusive banking, providing financial wellness to all, and pairing members with the right people and products to pursue what’s next.