By Larry Nichols, President and CEO
Hello, all!
The days are longer, school is out, and weekends are being spent by the water! That’s right – summer is here, and I hope everyone is having some fun in the sun (with proper sunscreen, of course).
We are thrilled to have recently wrapped a very successful MDT E3, formerly known as MDT Connect. The conference, which was focused around the three key themes of engage, educate and empower, drew nearly 300 attendees from 57 credit unions, including 66 first-timers. We facilitated over 40 sessions and keynotes at the event. For example, Michael Hahn, international speaker and author on organizational culture, employee engagement, and personal behavior change, gave a keynote on finding your inner superhero. Dave Foss, board chair and CEO of Jack Henry, gave a second keynote, delving into the company’s technology modernization strategy. We want to give a special shoutout to Michigan-based Crystal Crane Media’s work to support conference branding, including the amazing video kick-off that started the event.
Also at this year’s event, we hosted a luncheon for CEOs to hear directly from Dave Foss on topics such as future direction, technology development and how credit unions can best support members during challenging economic times. I was honored to moderate the luncheon, joining the conversation around relevant industry trends and member service strategies.
It’s hard to believe this was our tenth client conference! Every year we get bigger and better. And even though recent years have taught us to appreciate the many benefits of virtual events, there’s something about gathering in person that simply can’t be replicated over a screen. We are already planning next year’s event, so please be on the lookout for details soon – you won’t want to miss it!
Also worth celebrating, it was recently announced that MDT was once again named a Best Place to work in Fintech by American Banker for the fourth year in a row! We are especially proud of this ranking because it is determined solely based on employee feedback about working at MDT. As you all know, culture is extremely important to us; we’ve worked hard to create a company culture where innovation is encouraged, differences are celebrated, and people feel welcomed. It’s so rewarding to be recognized for these efforts!
Last but certainly not least, I wanted to take a moment to recognize that this is MDT’s 20th anniversary. We were founded in 2003 by seven credit unions and today serve 113 credit unions, representing nearly two million members. I’m proud to say that along the way we have always stayed true to our four strategic drivers: service, security, people, and growth. From the entire MDT family, thank you for being part of this special community. It has been an amazing ride, and I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years brings.
Soon enough, fall will be knocking on our doorstep, with cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and school buses starting up again. Until then, I hope you all enjoy sweet summertime!
Cheers,
Larry