My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Tiffani Vargas of SAFE CU

Name: Tiffani Vargas

Credit union: SAFE Credit Union ($4.4 billion, Folsom, Calif.)

Title: Chief Lending Officer

Number of years at current credit union: Five

Educational background: Bachelor of Science – Business Administration from Auburn University; MBA from California State University, Sacramento

CU Times: What are your key responsibilities in your current role?

Vargas: I oversee nearly half of the credit union’s income centers, including the mortgage division, loan servicing, collections, personal lending, auto financing, college funding, insurance products, and commercial and small business lending and banking. I am also tasked with the organizational leadership and strategic oversight of all lending at SAFE, thereby focusing on balancing efficiency, risk, profitability, growth and performance.

CU Times: What drew you to the credit union industry?

Vargas: Throughout my 25-plus year lending career, and particularly during the “Great Recession” financial crisis, I have stayed engaged with our borrowers gravely impacted by their financial circumstances. Lending plays such a distinct role in the triumphs and challenges of most Americans throughout their lives. I recognize that credit unions offer the best way to create a true partnership with members through the ebbs and flows of their financial life cycle. That is where I focus on making the greatest impact possible.

CU Times: What unique skills, experience and attributes do you bring to the C-suite?

Vargas: At a high level, I hone my keen eye for strategy. Faced with given scenarios, I typically can spot relevant patterns and issues, play out alternative scenarios and identify options that are the most likely to succeed. I also lean into efforts to encourage opportunities for continual growth and believe collaboration leads to optimal results. These methods, combined with my extensive lending leadership experience through multiple economic cycles and unprecedented challenges, allow me to contribute meaningfully to our senior executive team.

CU Times: Which person (or people) do you credit the most for helping and supporting you along your career journey?

Vargas: As an undergraduate at Auburn University, I had a phenomenal professor who, during my final semester, convinced the less confident version of myself that everything is indeed possible with hard work, with the willingness to take risks and with the confidence to ask for help when you need it. It was a great lesson about balance and humility that also provided me with useful guidance throughout my career. I reflect on this advice regularly. I hope I can provide similar support and inspiration to others on my team in return.

CU Times: What are some of the biggest differences between working in your current executive level role and your previous, non-executive roles?

Vargas: As my leadership responsibilities have expanded, there has been a shift in my focus from managing individual pieces to leading the collective as a whole. As a non-executive leader, I was entrenched in important tactical work when I supervised and managed task completion. In my current role as a C-suite executive, my time is heavily focused on strategy, where I’m primarily engaged in leading a team while also watching the inner workings of the entire operation. My contribution is maximized by understanding how all of our work connects as I continually collaborate with my peers to ensure success.

CU Times: What’s a challenge you faced when you first joined your executive team, and how did you overcome it?

Vargas: Overall, my transition went very well. That said, part of any internal promotion involves shifting some relationships from subordinate to peer, and mine was no exception. I approached this with honesty and transparency. I made sure to communicate my genuine respect for my experienced colleagues, and openly asked them for guidance and insight as needed. Simultaneously, I remained confident in my knowledge and expertise while identifying ways I could meaningfully contribute.

CU Times: How would you describe your current leadership style?

Vargas: I take a supportive approach as a leader. I want to ensure our team has the data, systems and resources to be successful in fulfilling our purpose. I ask a lot of questions and encourage others to do the same. I recognize that knowledge is power – it allows us to make more informed, impactful decisions.

CU Times: Do you approach your job any differently now compared to how you did pre-pandemic? If yes, how so?

Vargas: My approach has remained relatively consistent, although with a hybrid workforce I am even more organized with my time to ensure that in-office days are focused on collaborative meetings, important discussions, and recognition and reward activities. More than ever, I appreciate the chance to pause and chat with team members in person and hear how they are doing.

CU Times: What’s next for you on your executive career journey? Do you have any specific career goals you’re working toward?

Vargas: In addition to my primary responsibilities, I am focused on being a resource for others and leveraging their expertise in return. I recognize that knowledge transfer with other credit union executives, as well as community leaders, can expand and enhance how I approach situations and make decisions. I am always looking for ways to learn and grow.

CU Times: What big-picture impact do you hope to make within your credit union, as well as for your members and community?

Vargas: Responsible borrowing has a tremendous impact on our members’ lives, and I cherish that we can be a part of many of their major milestones. Whether it be to assist them to build credit with a starter credit card, buy that first car, enroll in college, expand a business or build generational wealth through home ownership, I am committed to our partnership with our members and community. We will continue to drive convenience and expand products and services to meet our members’ evolving needs. My goal is whenever a member is asked, “Will you refer SAFE Credit Union to your family and friends?” they will answer with a resounding “Yes,” followed by, “I already have.”

For SAFE employees, I want everyone to have the opportunity to make a difference. It is exciting to see what transpires when people connect with their professional passion, so I always look for ways to encourage our employees to embrace their unique strengths and watch them soar.

CU Times: What career advice would you give your younger self?

Vargas: I would tell my younger self that those tried-and-true clichés like, “your career is a marathon, not a sprint,” and ”take time to smell the roses” are spot on. In the workplace, I would also say that wisdom evolves over time and through experience – including your failures. Lastly, I would advise myself to never forget that a career filled with helping people ensures you retire knowing you have made a real difference.

Would you or someone you know like to share your journey to credit union leadership? Please reach out to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com. To qualify, you must have been placed or promoted into a new senior-level leadership role within the last three years at a credit union.