First Tech Undergoing Management Revamp

BEAVERTON, Ore. – The $1.7 billion First Tech Credit Union, still recovering from the untimely death in May of one of its top executives and some coincidental departures, is looking at structural changes in its senior management lineup, according to Thomas Sargent, its president/CEO. “We have four staff positions to fill and so we thought now gives us a good opportunity to review our succession planning, new functions and accountability,” said Sargent. The biggest shock to First Tech management came May 13 with the sudden death of Michael Osborne, executive vice president, but the Oregon CU had already been in the process of filling other jobs. They included: Charlotte Shinn, Webmaster, who left in April to become CEO of Northwest Resource FCU in Portland; Wayne Young, vice president of human resources; and Thomas Kroen, vice president of information technology. Both Young and Kroen left this spring for other local positions. Coupled with the loss of Osborne and the departures “it simply gives us a chance to look at our management structure and the reporting lines,” said Sargent.