My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Ian Beirnes of Texans Credit Union

Name: Ian Beirnes

Credit Union: Texans Credit Union ($2.1 billion, Richardson, Texas)

Title: Vice President of Information Technology

Number of years at your current credit union: Less than one year as Vice President of Information Technology; 20 years as a member

Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Western Michigan University; attended Stanford University’s Executive Digital Transformation Strategy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Professional Cloud and DevOps programs; certified by Amazon Web Services, Google, Hashicorp, Pink Elephant and Microsoft

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

Beirnes: I lead the technology infrastructure and operations organization for Texans Credit Union. My key responsibilities include defining and implementing strategic technology initiatives, maintaining and optimizing the technology investments, and collaborating with our external partners for key services.

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

Beirnes: Along with my background and experience in financial services, I have been a member of Texans Credit Union for two decades. I have experienced first-hand the organization’s unprecedented customer service to its members and commitment to the communities they serve.

I joined Texans after working for the Federal Reserve, which has allowed me to utilize my leadership, financial services and IT expertise, and also fulfill my passion for community service.

CU Times: What unique skills, experience and attributes do you bring to your role?

Beirnes: My expertise includes managing multi-cloud and hybrid operations, infrastructure modernization and automated operations. Beyond my professional skills and experience, I am active in my community, serving in various leadership roles that allow me to help create positive outcomes for my neighbors, our city, our school district and our youth sports.

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

Beirnes: I have been fortunate to have worked for several great leaders throughout my career. Each has provided valuable guidance and mentorship that has contributed to the growth of my career and paved the way for my current role at Texans. Each mentor was pivotal in broadening my perspective, continuously challenging me to push my limits and encouraging me to strive for excellence. Everything I learned along the way still resonates with me today.

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

Beirnes: Moving into this executive-level role has enabled me to have a more significant and broader impact on the collective organization. This role provides me the opportunity to drive long-term vision with strategic IT initiatives that help enable the success of Texans Credit Union, and provide value for our members and the communities we serve.

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

Beirnes: When joining the executive team, I faced the challenge of stepping into a role where one of the key leaders on that team had left the organization, creating somewhat of a gap in team knowledge and capacity. To overcome this, I assumed a more tactical focus on my responsibilities, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the day-to-day activities of the department.

I assessed the current state of the organization, worked in collaboration with my fellow executives to build relationships and understand organizational priorities, and met with each team member to understand their current priorities and capacity. I also engaged with our external partners to assess services and service levels. I then ensured our priorities were collectively aligned and the workload was effectively balanced while ensuring we met all service-level commitments. This provided valuable learning opportunities and a foundation for ongoing success at Texans. 

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

Beirnes: I would describe my leadership style as encouraging, collaborative and detail-oriented. I believe in creating a supportive and inclusive environment where team members feel valued and heard. I also believe leading by example at an executive level is essential for success. I engage at all levels of the organization and prioritize working closely with the talented professionals on my team, doing what I can to ensure they’re successful.

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

Beirnes: I approach my job the same today as I did pre-pandemic. However, I understand and have evolved my perspective on a hybrid approach to the team working environment. I appreciate the flexibility that working from home offers our employees, but it is not easy to replicate remotely the collaboration and culture building that happens in person. So, it’s important to find the right balance.

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

Beirnes: My current goal is to dedicate my efforts to the Texans organization by driving innovation and leading the IT department to provide the best possible experience for our members.

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

Beirnes: I hope to positively contribute to the success of Texans Credit Union by providing inspirational leadership and a technology infrastructure that is robust, secure, reliable and can effectively scale to meet the needs of the business.

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

Beirnes: If I could go back in time and give my younger self advice, I would probably say to recognize the value and importance of culture and its role in your happiness. I would have told my younger self to prioritize pursuing opportunities with positive and supportive environments for my personal and professional growth. That is one of the many reasons I chose to join Texans. The company culture is unlike any other I have been a part of.

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.