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After a transformative couple of years, Holbrook takes the reigns to build a credit union for the 2020s.
February 3, 2022 | Calgary, AB – connectFirst Credit Union (connectFirst) announced today that Wellington Holbrook has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer effective February 9, 2022. This appointment follows an extensive search by the connectFirst Board of Directors that commenced in October of 2021. Holbrook had previously held the title of Chief Operating Officer since joining connectFirst in March of 2020 and takes over following the announcement of previous CEO Paul Kelly of his intention to retire following a 27-year career at connectFirst.
“The appointment of Wellington as CEO truly speaks to the Board’s confidence and understanding in the type of leader our credit union needs to further deliver on our Mission to Make Money Make a Difference here in Alberta,” said Andrew Eberl, Board Chair, connectFirst. “Wellington often says, ‘we’re just getting started,’ and we know that with his leadership, together we can continue to build a credit union for the 2020s and beyond.”
“It truly is an honour to be named as the new CEO of connectFirst,” said Holbrook. “For the last couple years, we’ve been working to disrupt the way Albertans think about credit unions and financial institutions in general. We are re-imagining the way we do things at connectFirst, and we have some ambitious goals that include building a more prosperous future for our members and all Albertans, through the passion, know-how, expertise, connection and understanding of our teams.”
Through his operational leadership, 2021 marked a transformational year for connectFirst. After the launch of its new brand promising to find ways to make banking more meaningful to Albertans, connectFirst saw unprecedented growth and the strongest financial performance in the credit union’s 83-year history, including the following results for fiscal 2021, ending October 31, 2021:
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- Over 3, 800 new members joined the movement of hope at connectFirst
- Member loans increased by $459 million to help more people and businesses achieve their goals
- Assets reached over $6.2 billion representing a big investment in Albertans
- Wealth assets under management increased by almost 21% as we helped more members achieve their financial dreams.
These strong financial results have continued into the first quarter of the fiscal 2022. Wellington’s career has spanned banking, financial services, and technology over the past 25+ years, including senior executive roles with major financial institutions across Canada and in Alberta. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba, as well as an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford.
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ABOUT CONNECTFIRST CREDIT UNION
connectFirst Credit Union, one of the largest and most successful credit unions in Canada, is a full-service financial institution with over $6 billion in assets under administration. connectFirst employs 750 Albertans who provide a 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 CONTACT:
Beth Kerr
Manager, Brand & Community
bkerr@connectfirstcu.com
403-736-4217