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World Council of Credit Unions President/CEO Brian Branch announced Thursday that he is retiring in July.
Branch has served as WOCCU's leader since 2011 and has been with the organization for 31 years, according to a press release. He will retire as one of the longest serving presidents and CEOs in WOCCU's history.
According to the press release, Branch's tenure has sent him to 104 countries to develop programs "to start credit unions, conduct management training, expand outreach, build networks, improve regulatory environments and introduce technological innovations."
Brian Branch "There is no question we will miss Brian's expertise and leadership going forward, but he has put us in a position to successfully move World Council forward into the future," World Council Board President Rafal Matusiak said.
According to WOCCU, Branch's accomplishments during his three decades included some of the following:
- Reconciled post-civil war economies through credit union reactivation in the Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
- Extended economic democracy through credit union systems in post-Soviet Russia, Poland and Romania.
- Empowered township communities through credit union services in post-Apartheid South Africa.
- Built community reconciliation efforts through credit unions in post-genocide Rwanda.
- Revitalized rural economies through credit union finance for agricultural crops and remote service delivery technology in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
- Updated credit union legislation and regulation in Mexico and Kenya to strengthen the credit union brand and protect the ability of credit unions to expand financial inclusion.
- Introduced Islamic-based credit unions in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
WOCCU's board of directors has begun the search for a new president/CEO, who is expected to be onboarded prior to Branch's departure.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
