CALGARY, Alberta, May 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connect First and Servus Credit Union announced, today, that Perry Dooley has become the inaugural Chair of the Board of Directors for the newly merged entity. This follows the credit union’s first post-merger Board meeting at which Dooley was selected as Chair through an election process.
Dooley brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Connect First and Servus Credit Union having served on the Servus Board since 2009, including as Chair since 2023.
"I am deeply honoured and humbled to be elected as the first Chair of this newly formed joint entity," says Dooley. "I am excited to work alongside my fellow Board members as we come together to build one of the largest and strongest credit unions in the country."
Serving alongside Dooley are six other Directors from Servus Credit Union’s prior Board and five Directors from connectFirst Credit Union’s prior Board. This includes connectFirst's former Chair, Andrew Eberl, who was elected as Vice-Chair of the new Board. Prior to the merger, the Board was approved by a member vote at Special General Meetings held separately by each credit union in 2023.
Eberl says, "I am pleased to continue serving the Credit Union in this role. Our goal is to further secure the credit union way of banking through creating one of the most sustainable credit unions in the country.”
As previously announced, Ian Burns is President and CEO of the new credit union. Immediately prior to the merger, Ian served as President and CEO of Servus.
According to Burns, "This Board has the mix of skills and experience required to effectively govern a truly province-wide credit union that is rooted in cooperative values.”
As Chair, Dooley will work closely with the other Board Directors and the President and CEO to oversee the organization’s strategic direction and governance.
In a landmark move for cooperative banking in Alberta, Servus and connectFirst Credit Unions announced that their merger closed on May 1, 2024. Together, the newly formed credit union has more than 3,000 employees and serves approximately 500,000 members across 140 branches in 80 Alberta communities.
For more information on the merger, visit greatertogether.info.
Servus and connectFirst are trade names of Connect First and Servus Credit Union Ltd. All rights reserved.
About Servus
Servus Credit Union has served Albertans for over 80 years with a full line of secure financial services. The financial institution has more than 100 branches in 61 communities throughout the province as well as options for online, mobile and telephone banking. Servus's noble purpose is to help members reimagine their financial fitness so that they feel good about their money. For more information about Servus, call 1.877.378.8728 or visit servus.ca.
About connectFirst
connectFirst Credit Union, one of the largest and most successful credit unions in Canada, is a full-service financial institution with over $7 billion in assets under administration. connectFirst employs 750 Albertans who provide a wide range of financial products and advice in more than 40 communities across central and southern Alberta. It serves over 125,000 members through a community-focused approach to banking.
Media Contacts
Servus Credit Union
media@servus.ca
(825) 402-0740
connectFirst Credit Union
Beth Kerr
Manager, Brand and Communications
bkerr@connectfirstcu.com
(403) 736-4217
