Marshall, a longtime Cooperative Trust member and 2013 GAC crasher, said his interest, curiosity and desire to step out of his comfort zone played a huge role in his plan to leave the United Kingdom and launch a dream career in the United States.

Prior to joining Filene and The Cooperative Trust, he served as the marketing manager at Plane Saver Credit Union in London, one of the largest credit unions in the United Kingdom. Specializing in branding, social media and marketing strategies, he worked on a variety of projects and campaigns focused on increasing the credit union's membership base and targeted loan applications. As marketing manager, he helped grow membership by 25% while rebranding the organization and implementing a new strategic direction. He was also a World Council Young Credit Union People participant at the World Council conference in Poland in 2012, and a 2013 finalist for the Tracy Slane Award – an honor provided by the United Kingdom's Credit Union Foundation to recognize and reward a young person who has demonstrated personal commitment and the ability to significantly influence his or her credit union.

Marshall recognized that if he wanted to make a greater impact on the industry, he'd have to move to either Australia, Canada or the U.S. He soon came across Filene and got involved in The Cooperative Trust, and when the opportunity to become its leader came about, he spoke up.

"Asking Filene to take a risk on me was the biggest ask I've ever made, and it's been the biggest payoff," he said. "It could've been a no and I'd be back in the U.K. now. I'm lucky enough to now have the opportunity to enable others to make a difference, and see the wider credit union world."

Under Marshall's guiding hand, The Cooperative Trust has continued its focus on four key areas of mentorship, online communities, meet-ups and product development for young adults. Results showed the Filene program has been effective in developing young credit union advocates, creating affinity for credit unions among young adults and increasing the retention rate of young leaders. In a survey of 2014 and 2015 GAC Crashers, 97% said the Crash events inspired them to learn more about credit unions, 98% said they helped grow their interest in furthering their careers with credit unions, and 96% said they helped them learn more about how they can advocate for credit unions and their futures. In addition, 99% said the experience will help them make a bigger impact at their credit unions. He added many Cooperative Trust members and crashers have gone on to become credit union CEOs.

"They are not only just doing great in their careers, but really contributing to further the movement," Marshall said.

He said his favorite quote, written by novelist Chuck Palahniuk, has greatly influenced his life. It reads: "And because there's no possibility of real disaster, real risk, we're left with no chance for real salvation. Real elation. Real excitement. Joy. Discovery. Invention."

The concept of "no risk, no reward" can also be applied to the credit union industry as a whole, Marshall said.

"Are we too risk adverse in financial service and with regulations?" he asked. "Are we falling behind? Are there opportunities to partner with up and coming fintech disruptors? As a reminder to ourselves, I think we just need to on a daily basis question, are we doing this because we are a credit union or just another financial service company?"

As innovation continues to take place in the technology arena, Marshall has been keeping his eye on Plastc, an all-in-one payment card consumers can load their credit cards and even building access cards onto and sync with their smartphones. In addition to paying for purchases, the multi-account tool has a touchscreen that can be unlocked with a PIN and displays information ranging from card balances and account numbers to spending history. He's interested in the technology's potential disruption to how consumers use their cards, he said.

Paying attention to what's going on outside the industry and questioning the "whys" behind consumer behavior and how that behavior can affect credit unions can lead to the discovery of unexpected opportunities, Marshall noted. For example, while 97% of millennials say they would love to be entrepreneurs, only 10 to 12% actually do it. A recent Filene report, "Young Entrepreneurs: Are Credit Unions Doing Enough to Help?" revealed credit unions can help remove barriers to entrepreneurship – not just through education, but by offering office space.

"We take having a desk or phone for granted in the working world," he said. "This way you allow a new business to come into the credit union and that builds relationships."