My Journey to Credit Union Leadership: Gaspare Gallina of Illinois Educators Credit Union

Name: Gaspare Gallina

Credit union: Illinois Educators Credit Union ($104 million, Springfield, Ill.)

Title: EVP

Age: 37

Number of years at current credit union: Nine

Educational background: MBA from University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS), Bachelor of Business Administration from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill.

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

Gallina: Overall management of Lending and Member Service operations while developing and executing strategic plans and cultural development.

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

Gallina: I’ve always had strong financial acumen, so landing in a financial institution does not come as a surprise. What drew me to stay in the credit union space is the people! Helping members achieve success and get through hardships in the most important times of their lives makes every day worth it.

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

Gallina: With nine years of experience in lending and member service, there is one crucial skill that I have found is necessary in the credit union space, and that is emotional intelligence. Knowing how your members feel, properly communicating with them, and giving them what they need is a great skill to help bridge the relationship between the member and their credit union.

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

Gallina: I’ve been lucky enough to work with a great core team that has high ambitions and expertise in several areas. Having mentors and managers who created a path of knowledge and experience for me to learn from has been fundamental in my career growth.

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

Gallina: Shifting into a new role where strategy and broader picture initiatives are more important than the everyday task completion is always a big change.

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

Gallina: Making sure the team as a whole knows that they can count on and come to me for anything, even though my role with the credit union has changed.

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

Gallina: I would consider my leadership style as a lead by example type. I understand the importance of wearing several hats, and stepping up when and where needed, and will always welcome getting my hands dirty!

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

Gallina: If yes, how so? Business and consumer expectations have changed so much post-pandemic that it has forced almost everyone in every industry to change in some aspects. As a credit union, we ensured our remote service options were up to speed and available so our members can access their information anytime, anywhere.

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

Gallina: Really diving in to the new role [Gallina was promoted to EVP in December 2023], working closely with our CEO, further developing risk management skills and strengthening our stance in the community is high on the to-do list. I look forward to more strategy-forward thinking and deepening member relationships.

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

Gallina: Growing our market share and further deepening our member relations with our core SEG group of educators. Making an impact in financial literacy in our surrounding school districts is important for our community!

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

Gallina: I would advise my younger self to show up every day with the intention of giving your best efforts, to learn as much as possible, and to work diligently in improving yourself so you can be best prepared when opportunities arise.

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.