Now entering his third year as CEO of CU Business Group, the Portland, Ore.-based business services CUSO, Justin Conrey is a treasure trove of information on credit union commercial lending and business services strategy. In this episode of Shared Accounts With CU Times, we sit down with Conrey for a jam-packed interview in which he details how the economy has presented challenges for credit unions looking to expand their business services programs, and what credit unions can expect in the commercial lending space in 2025.
He also discusses a trend in which Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) credit unions using their CDFI status to expand their business lending efforts are at risk of losing their status, and how CUBG is helping those credit unions get ahead of that risk. Conrey also dives into SBA lending, credit union-bank acquisitions and how his experiences working for both a credit union and community bank in the past helps him succeed in his role today.
Plus, you’ll hear from Conrey - an Austin, Texas native and current resident of the Portland, Ore., area - on which city is actually weirder; how he’s thinking about the upcoming holiday season as Dad to a five-year-old son; and favorite foods from holiday dishes to breakfast tacos. Don’t delay - get down to business and give this episode a listen!
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
