The name says it all. In engineering, torque is the twisting force that gets something moving, and that’s exactly what Financial Plus Credit Union wants its new venture to do for other organizations. Meet Torque Leadership, the credit union’s first wholly-owned credit union service organization (CUSO). That’s a separate business a credit union owns to offer services beyond traditional banking.
Torque focuses on leadership development, coaching, consulting, and strategic solutions. The idea is simple: potential lives in every person and every organization, and it just needs a push in the right direction.
Why a credit union is getting into leadership
Financial Plus President and CEO Brad Bergmooser says investing in people has always been central to how the credit union operates. “Torque allows us to extend that philosophy beyond our own organization and share the leadership development, coaching, and strategic expertise that has helped shape our success,” he said. He calls the launch “an exciting evolution of the cooperative spirit that drives everything we do.”
That spirit is the cooperative principle of “People Helping People.” By making leadership development, coaching, facilitation, and organizational consulting more accessible, Torque aims to help organizations strengthen their teams, advance their missions, and better serve the communities that rely on them. It also gives Financial Plus a new way to widen its impact.
Who Torque serves
The CUSO is open to a broad range of clients:
- Corporations and mid-sized companies
- Credit unions and community banks
- Nonprofits
- Educational institutions
- Government organizations
Every engagement is tailored to the client’s goals, challenges, and culture. The aim is solutions that are practical, sustainable, and built for long-term results rather than a one-time boost.
What’s on the menu
- Leadership Development
- Culture Transformation
- Team Effectiveness
- Strategic Solutions
- Executive and Professional Coaching
- Sales and Service Excellence
The people behind it
Bill Thena, Director of Organizational Development at Financial Plus, will lead Torque alongside Genevieve Coyne, Senior Talent Development Partner.
Thena describes the mission this way: “The goal of Torque is to take very important people from where they are to where they want to go, and that includes every person in the organization.” The approach follows a philosophy of “Build, Believe, Become.” Torque helps clients build a vision and roadmap, create belief in that mission, and then works side by side with them to become what they were meant to be.
If your organization has been meaning to invest in its people but hasn’t known where to start, look at where your team is today and where you want it to be in a year. Then ask whether you have a roadmap to close that gap. If not, a conversation with Torque could be a useful first step.