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V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 7 , 2 0 1 7 24 calling — and so was the East Coast, with two of her daughters in New York City and another in London. She liked the East Coast and its rich history. A recruiter introduced her to the Infi nity FCU job. "We visited Portland and I loved the vibe. e hotel was in the Old Port. It was summer in Maine. ere was a cruise ship in port. It was very cool. ere's a very good arts community. It's not large, but it's large enough," she says. She joined Infi nity FCU as president and CEO in September 2014. Her husband, an independent accountant, was able to keep his clients and go back and forth between Portland and Minneapolis, where they keep an apartment. ey found a place to live on Munjoy Hill, an easy commute to Infi nity FCU's headquarters in Westbrook. Coming to a smaller credit union, she knew there was potential for growth. "I wanted to know the board's appetite for growth," she says. She was confi dent that the credit union had room to grow: Its community charter covers Cumberland and York counties, and the city of Bangor. "We have 2% of the market. We have good capital. We have excellent senior management. It's not growth-at-all-costs, but we can do a better job," she says. Assets and membership have grown under Hayes, as mentioned. e credit union has also grown its bricks and mortar: In late July, Infi nity FCU opened a branch at 29 Baxter Boulevard. Also in late July, it unveiled a loan program, "Bridge to Citizenship," to help new Mainers get rooted and establish a credit record. She likes to talk about "people over profi ts," and the fact that credit unions are people-oriented. Hiring and managing Hayes has a number of philosophies about hiring, training, management and leadership. "You need to be a collaborator. You need to enjoy your job and be excited about it. You need to share information," she says. "We hire on attribute over skill." She says the workforce is achievement based, but "we're all in it together. We don't want lone wolves." In recruiting, the credit union has hired for- mer employees of Bank of America, TDBank and Key Bank. "You may be on a corporate track, but you want to be more community focused," she says of the employees. On leadership, she says: "Like the old expression, leadership starts at the top. You have to set the tone. I lay out our strategic plan, our own vision, our mis- sion, our core values." She communicates with the senior managers, the "M team," middle managers, and the employees— often with what she calls "microwave meetings," when people are heating up their food at lunchtime. "She considers all options before making sug- gestions," says Sandy Cloutier, chief risk offi cer at Infi nity FCU. Hayes hosts CEO lunches every other month and asks employees: "What do we do well? What can we do better?" "Leadership is not just speaking on a podium. You have to communicate by email. You have to communicate one-on-one," she says. "Liz is a critical thinker," says Mark Meyer, CEO of the Madison, Wisc.-based Filene Research Institute, a nonprofi t think tank devoted to issues in the consumer fi nance industry. "She under- stands what people want and need in their fi nancial lives. In our innovation group her voice stood out amongst many entrepreneurial minds. I am not surprised to hear that her leadership attributes have created dynamic growth at the credit union. When a leader of an organization understands what's in the hearts and minds of the people it serves, it's a formula for success." Hayes likes a quote from the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu that she uses to illustrate the need to work independently and make the best decisions you can. She urges her staff to try to fi gure things out fi rst. "Don't go to the play manual right away," she says. She urges managers to ask questions, listen, learn. With skeptics, she urges leaders to fi nd one or two people and communicate one-on-one, ask them to take on added responsibility. "[Employees] do ask tough questions," she says. "Tell it to them straight." P V A , Mainebiz editor, can be reached at @ . and @ ME » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 2 2 In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words What triggered your career path? I was working at a bank in Minnesota when I received a call from a former co-worker to come work at Liberty Check Printers, a printing company for credit unions. I joined them as a marketing consultant to credit unions on the West Coast, helping them with their strategic planning, market- ing promotions and analysis. As soon as I under- stood the difference and how a not-for-profit credit union can truly make a difference in people's lives, I was hooked. I've been in the credit union indus- try ever since. Did you have a mentor or role model? My father was a mentor in navigating life and work. He believed that you could do anything, but the most important thing he taught me was to challenge the status quo and if you can't break the rules, work to change them. There's always a way to achieve your goals if you look hard enough and are willing to work for it! Also, early in my career I worked for many years with a woman who'd achieved a lot of professional success. She taught me the power of resilience. When you fall down, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in there. What advice would you give your younger self? Lighten up! Drive and determination are important, but taking time out for a good laugh makes life so much more enjoyable. What keeps you up at night? We're experiencing so many good things at Infinity that if there's anything keeping me awake it's thinking of all the exciting things ahead of us! What's the last book you read? I love to read all kinds of genres, including books on leadership, ethics, philosophy, history, biogra- phies, etc. I buy whatever book strikes me in the moment! The most recent book I read was "Lincoln in the Bardo," by George Saunders. It's a story about Abe Lincoln visiting his son Willie's grave in the days after his death. It's a desperately sad, chilling, but hopeful book. Elizabeth Hayes (center), CEO of Infi nity Federal Credit Union, after cutting the ribbon during a recent grand opening ceremony for the new branch at 29 Baxter Boulevard in Portland. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

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