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Access Credit Union is entering a fresh chapter.
On September 2nd, the province’s largest credit union will welcome a new president and chief executive officer — a community member from the Pembina Valley who is no stranger to the world of banking.
Witnessing a changing landscape
Myrna Wiebe will take up the role.
Currently, Wiebe holds the position of chief strategy and information officer with Access, which involves governance, strategy, IT security, and digital core banking.
The soon-to-be president and CEO brings with her 32 years of experience in the industry that has seen significant change in the Pembina Valley through the decades.
“I began at Morden Credit Union before it became Agassiz as a part-time ... member service representative, and then worked through several positions in Morden,” she said.
“[Then I] transferred to Winkler Credit Union, which subsequently became Heartland Credit Union, which subsequently became Access Credit Union.”
‘I do not regret one day of it’
Wiebe said that throughout her career, she has “been active in virtually every department” of the organization, often in a leadership role.
She doesn’t regret “one day” of the journey.
“Not only ... the members that I've been fortunate enough to serve, but also the system and people and colleagues that I’ve met have been fantastic,” she said.
Another component of Wiebe’s decades-spanning career is the post-secondary education she has completed along the way.
She holds a Certificate in Management from the University of Manitoba as well as a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Management and an MBA from Athabasca University, among other designations and credentials.
“[It] was done in the evening and weekends, so it was work by day, study by night,” she said, adding that this, too, has been worth the effort.
“It was a lot of work, and again, even through my education, I learned so much, and I met so many amazing people that I call my friends today and have become valued colleagues in the system and abroad.”
A bittersweet announcement
Wiebe will succeed Larry Davey as president and CEO following his retirement at the end of August.
She called it a “bittersweet” announcement.
"It was bittersweet for me to hear of Larry's retirement because we've done a lot of good work together, and our teams have done a lot of good things together. It's sad for me to see him go, but I welcome the opportunity, and I'm privileged and honoured to take on the new role of president and CEO.”
-Myrna Wiebe on Larry Davey, president and CEO of Access Credit Union until the end of August.
“I've been with Larry for the 13 years he's served Access, and he's done some amazing things,” she said. “He's brought us to a place of being the largest credit union in Manitoba, which is no small feat, and that's [thanks] to his vision for the credit union.”
Wiebe said that because she has worked so closely with Davey during his tenure and has been a part of the system for such a long time, she was a “natural fit” for the role of president and CEO.
She added that her education and the relationships she has built also help.
“Like I said, it was bittersweet for me to hear of Larry's retirement because we've done a lot of good work together, and our teams have done a lot of good things together,” she said. “It's sad for me to see him go, but I welcome the opportunity, and I'm privileged and honoured to take on the new role of president and CEO.”
Community at the core
Although through her various roles and positions over the decades, Wiebe has been deeply involved in the workings of Access Credit Union, she shies away from being described as one who has shaped the organization.
She said it might be "too strong a word."
“My office today is located in Southern Manitoba, and you don't turn too many corners without seeing an Access building, an Access sign, or one of our amazing staff wearing Access clothing.”
-Myrna Wiebe on how Access Credit Union is connected to the community.
“I have mentors [and colleagues] that have shaped who I am, ... but at the core of our cooperative values is our members and our communities," she said. "When we focus on our members and our communities, the shaping will take care of itself [as we] value that relationship and remember who we serve.”
Wiebe said that Access Credit Union is proud to be a part of each community it works with.
“My office today is located in Southern Manitoba, and you don't turn too many corners without seeing an Access building, an Access sign, or one of our amazing staff wearing Access clothing,” she said, adding that now, that community-centred approach has spread through the province.
“Our reach is far beyond [where it used to be] and we are very proud to be part of so many more communities in Manitoba today .... [It] has been amazing to be part of that ride and the merger journey that we've had over the last number of years.”
Community response
On the part of the community's response to the news of Wiebe's new position, she said she has been "overwhelmingly humbled" by it.
“I thought I had a lot of support, and I now know I have a lot of support, and that's not lost on me,” she said. “I didn't get to where I am on my own, and there are many, many people in my life to thank.”
Putting in time versus investing time
As Wiebe prepares for her new position, she maintains the mindset that has led her along her career path.
It involves thinking carefully about one's efforts.
“I would challenge anyone who thinks that they're putting in the time to convert that to investing the time, because it's different,” she said.
“We're not just putting in time anymore, we're investing time in our personal lives and our careers and in the careers and personal lives of the people around us .... Don't look forward to tomorrow. Look forward to five years from now, ten years from now, and where your investment will pay off.”
Wiebe said she also carries with her a reminder from Maya Angelou: people may forget what you say or do, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.
“If there's any one thing that I can suggest to anyone, it’s that as you invest time in your career, in your family, in whatever life it is that you're investing time in, don't ever forget how you make people feel around you, because you're going to need that same feeling back," she said.
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In the end, Wiebe said she’s excited for what the future brings.
“This is an opportunity that I have been granted and ... do not take lightly, and I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead and the amazing people that I work with,” she said.
“I cannot say that often enough — or loudly enough — that we have an amazing team and we have great places that we're going to go.”
Click here to read Access Credit Union’s announcement about Wiebe’s new position as the president and CEO of its organization.
With files from Robyn Wiebe