Millennials, cyber security and digital trends are the key themes at this year’s World Credit Union Conference.
Organised by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), the event will feature keynote speakers Susan Etlinger from Altimeter Group; TV star and entrepreneur Robert Herjavec, founder of Herjavec Group; and Simon Mainwaring, founder and chief executive of We First.
More than 1,800 credit union representatives are expected at the conference, which takes place on 23-26 July in Vienna.
Robert Herjavec is best known for his role in ABC’s reality show, Shark Tank. In the series Mr Herjavec is one of the “sharks” deciding whether to invest or not in projects pitched by aspiring entrepreneur-contestants. In 2003 he founded Herjavec Group, a technology company specialising in managed security services, compliance, incident response and remediation efforts for enterprise level organisations. At the conference, he will look at evolving technology trends and cyber security threats – and reveal some secrets from inside the Shark Tank.
Susan Etlinger will look at how to understand consumers in the digital age. Ms Etlinger is an industry analyst with Altimeter, which forms part of Prophet, a consultancy working to help clients grow. Altimeter focuses on helping businesses thrive by using disruptive technologies. As part of her role, Ms Etlinger looks at data, artificial intelligence and ethics, conducting independent research on these areas and advising global executives. A TED speaker, she is also on the board of The Big Boulder Initiative, an industry organisation dedicated to promoting the successful and ethical use of data. In Vienna she will introduce delegates to the idea of big data and what it means for organisations, and will look at current trends and technologies such as digital media.
Simon Mainwaring will examine the mindset of millennials, to show how credit unions must tell their brand stories to inspire them. We First is a consultancy advising companies on how to best define, frame and share their story in ways that build their brand reputation, costumer community and social impact. A best-selling author, Mr Mainwaring is a member of the executive committee of Sustainable Brands, the steering committee of the Business Alliance for the Future, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and the World Business Academy in the USA.
The conference also includes over 30 educational sessions on the latest trends and best practices from top industry professionals.
Women credit union leaders can take part in the Global Women’s Leadership Forum run by the World Council’s Global Women’s Leadership Network.
Young people below the age of 35 involved in credit unions were also able to apply to the dedicated World Council Young Credit Union People (WYCUP) programme and receive scholarships to attend the event.
More information on the conference is available on the official website http://wcucvienna2017.org/
