My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Laura Dezarn of Truliant Federal Credit Union

Name: Laura Dezarn

Credit Union: Truliant Federal Credit Union ($4.5 billion, Winston Salem, N.C.)

Title: Chief Information Officer

Age: 58

Number of years at current credit union: Five

Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in computer science from Appalachian State University; MBA from Wake Forest University

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

Dezarn: As Chief Information Officer, I’m responsible for shaping and executing Truliant’s technology vision, driving innovation and leveraging cutting-edge fintech solutions to ensure our members have the best possible experience every time they engage with us. I provide leadership for all of Truliant’s technology functions including infrastructure and operations, cybersecurity, business continuity and disaster recovery, enterprise architecture, integration and automation development, and business analysis and quality assurance testing.

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

Dezarn: I was drawn to it because of credit unions’ focus on members and employees. Our industry is committed to making a difference in their lives. We change the lives of our members by offering programs such as first-time homebuyer, financial counseling and credit establishment or building.

We give back to our communities through our involvement and sponsorship of community events, offering grants and scholarships and making charitable donations. We change the lives of our employees by investing in their well-being and supporting their growth and career development opportunities.

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

Dezarn: I’ve worked in my field long enough to have seen and experienced many types of challenges. Because I work in IT, my projects impact a lot of people. Just the general awareness that IT jobs can come with a heavy workload, complex deliverables and pressing deadlines is something most people don’t know. It’s important to be calm as I work with my teams because it translates to the work environment.

My past IT leadership experiences have also taught me how to explain technical concepts in terms that business executives can understand. Couple that with the long-range strategic planning skills I’ve developed and it makes for a powerful combination.

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

Dezarn: I give all of the credit to my father and my aunt. My father taught all four of his daughters to be strong, independent women and emphasized the importance of being self-sufficient. That message really resonated with me. My aunt was a very successful small business owner. By watching her success, I realized that I could do or be anything I wanted if I worked hard enough at it.

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

Dezarn: As an executive, a large part of my job is to have a clear strategic vision for the future of our organization. I now also have to gain support and buy-in from my leaders, my teams and others in the organization to execute that strategic vision.

It’s critical to communicate how the strategy execution fits into the bigger picture to gain that buy-in. In my previous non-executive roles, I was more on the execution side and thought less about the overall enterprise strategy. Once I understood the why behind a decision in my non-executive roles, I was better prepared to drive it to completion. I have carried that learning with me to my executive level roles to ensure my resources are committed to successful outcomes.

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

Dezarn: Moving from an execution role to a strategy development role was the biggest challenge I faced when first joining my executive team. In the execution role, I was very comfortable knowing what to do and how to deliver on it in my area of expertise.

I suddenly had to shift my focus from a single vertical to a broad and deep enterprise view. I had to hire and develop leaders who could be successful in the execution role in order for me to fully transition to an enterprise strategy role. That transition process took about a year and I had to straddle both execution and strategy while my leaders became proficient at execution.

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

Dezarn: I’m very transparent with my teams. Sharing information and updates with my teams builds trust in both directions. They know I will be candid with them and they also know they will hear the information directly from me before they hear it from elsewhere.

I can be demanding. I always expect results. But I also encourage my teams to stretch into areas where they may not be as comfortable. I provide my teams with all of the support, tools and empowerment they need to be successful, even when they doubt their own abilities. I make sure they are not only recognized for their accomplishments but are rewarded with career progressions and promotions.

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

Dezarn: Post-pandemic, there’s greater awareness that we have to support our employees in all aspects of their lives, especially on an emotional level. My executive peers and I spend more time thinking about how to use our resources effectively without overloading or overwhelming them.

Knowing that it’s much harder to turn off your work life when more of our employees are working from home, we are very intentional about the pace in which we drive the organization, to promote a better work-life balance.

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

Dezarn: Sharing my executive learnings and expertise with other organizations through board positions is my next career goal. I’ve achieved my personal executive career goals, so now I’m motivated to help other organizations benefit from my success.

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

Dezarn: I hope my presence in the C-suite reinforces and encourages more women in my credit union and in my community to enter technology fields. Women haven’t always been encouraged to pursue STEM educations or careers. I recognize that this is changing, but I have a strong desire to continue prioritizing gender diversity in this field.

I know from my own experience that a technology career is a tremendous opportunity. Many women have skill sets that are key attributes for success in this area and they just need the mentorship and encouragement to pursue it. My goal is to be that role model for young women who are aspiring to break those gender barriers.

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

Dezarn: First, I’d tell my younger self to never, ever give up on my career aspirations. Be patient and always bring your “A” game to everything you do and you will eventually be successful. Next, I’d tell myself to find a career-oriented role model and learn how they achieved success. Emulate their traits and actions that drove their successes. Imitation is the highest form of flattery!

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.