My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Dennis Kingery of Frontwave Credit Union

Name: Dennis Kingery

Credit union: Frontwave Credit Union ($1.4 billion, Oceanside, Calif.)

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Age: 49

Number of years at current credit union: Two months; 20-plus years in the credit union industry

Educational background: Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Business Finance, McPherson College, McPherson, Kan.; Master of Arts in International Development, University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies

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

Kingery: I am responsible for the overall financial performance of Frontwave Credit Union, which includes managing to an optimal balance sheet composition; managing risks such as liquidity, interest rate and concentration risks; performing treasury management activities and cost controls; and driving overall profitability. I also lead the payments departments within the organization including card services, ACH, wires, item processing, remote deposit capture, online bill pay, P2P and A2A.

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

Kingery: I was recruited to serve on the volunteer board of directors for a small credit union soon after starting my first professional position after college. I was intrigued by the credit union’s focus on member education and found its mission to assist members with reaching their financial goals very rewarding.

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

Kingery: I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles for credit unions with asset sizes ranging from $5 million to $11 billion. Most of my professional experience has been within accounting and finance roles. However, I have also served as an EVP of operations, which included setting operational policy and procedures; managing payment systems, fraud investigations, and call center teams; and implementing retail sales and service strategies. These varied perspectives of a credit union enable me to see strategic opportunities and organizational risks that may not have been as evident to an executive without that experience.

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

Kingery: I was fortunate to work with a CFO early in my credit union career who prioritized her team’s development. She helped me identify my strengths and opportunities and worked with me to proactively gain knowledge and experiences. She encouraged me and gave me the opportunity to take on leadership within new areas of the organization.

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

Kingery: One of the most significant differences is my ability to influence the strategic direction of the organization. Along with that influence comes an awareness that my decisions will impact thousands of employees and members – for better or for worse. Another difference I’ve realized is the criticality of having strong leaders working for you. With everything that is required to effectively run the credit union, the C-suite needs to rely on its teams for expertise. A strong team of vice presidents and directors can be the difference between success and failure.

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

Kingery: With any new role, an initial challenge is understanding the organization’s unique strategy and priorities, learning the strengths and opportunities of various teams and individuals, and fitting into the culture of the organization. These are important aspects of the organization that need to be vetted during the interview process. Doing so removes most of the surprises when you start in the new role and ensures you are the right fit for the organization.

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

Kingery: I like to use a combination of visionary and mentoring leadership styles. It’s important to be a visionary leader so your team has a shared direction. As an executive, there isn’t enough time to micro-manage leaders along the way, nor would they wish for me to always be looking over their shoulders. Instead, we need a shared understanding of what we are trying to accomplish, and why and how they can contribute toward those goals. As a mentoring leader I routinely meet one-on-one with my team members to provide guidance, discuss individual performance goals and make course corrections when necessary.

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

Kingery: Yes, the pandemic changed the world and with that, changed both employee and employer expectations of work. Where in the past an employer may have had no appetite for remote workers, we’ve now seen it can be done with relative effectiveness. I may have a preference for an in-person work environment; however I understand that a more flexible remote or hybrid work opportunity may be what is required to attract the best talent. The pandemic also reminded us how important it is to have business continuation plans in place.

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

Kingery: I am excited to contribute to bolstering the financial performance of Frontwave Credit Union and to gain more experience managing through a changing rate environment. I enjoy learning and taking on new challenges, and the current economic climate will provide ample challenges and learning opportunities in the foreseeable future.

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

Kingery: I hope to help Frontwave Credit Union continue to grow as the financial institution of choice in the communities we serve. This can be accomplished by providing our members exceptional service, connecting them to financial services that meet their needs and earning their trust.

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

Kingery: First, be sure to understand the culture of an organization before accepting an offer to work there. Being part of a positive and supportive work culture will increase the likelihood of long-term success. Working in a culture contrary to your values will only erode your motivation and performance. Second, be intentional about building a work network. The credit union industry is unique in that we are generally supportive of other credit unions. Having connections in the industry that you can reach out to for advice is a valuable resource.

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.