Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. V I I A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 8 18 B A N K I N G / F I N A N C E F O C U S Credit unions tell another story In Maine, women lead 27 of the state's 56 credit unions. ey include Julie Marquis of Five County Credit Union in Bath, who worked her way up from teller to president and CEO, a role she's held since June 2016. Both her mother and sister-in-law also worked at credit unions, which she notes have always had strong female participa- tion. "Many credit unions were started by women at kitchen tables," she says. At Gardiner Federal Credit Union, president and CEO Vicki Larrabbee leads a team of 14 female employees and has this advice for young women starting their careers today: "Work hard, have confi dence in yourself, and run with it." Liz Hayes, president and CEO of Infi nity Federal Credit Union in Westbrook and a 2017 Mainebiz Woman to Watch, says she believes while the credit union industry is chang- ing for the better in terms of opportuni- ties for women, "we have not arrived." Recently when credit unions in a handful of states appointed new CEOs, all of them were men. " ere certainly is a glass ceiling for women," she says. Hayes also laments the lack of women leading larger institutions, noting that the percentage of women in the C-suite "drops off dramatically" for institutions of $250 million or more in assets. She's one of the few to break that mold. She was appointed president and CEO at Infi nity in September 2014 after a call from a recruiter she knew, and underscores the importance of strategic net- working for all women who want to advance in their careers. She says Infi nity makes a concerted eff ort to have diversity of all types. "On my senior team I have seven individuals who work with me, and four are women who are very talented and experienced. I would not promote them based on their gender alone. I hire or promote people based on theirs qualifi cations and their abilities. If they happen to be a woman, that is a plus." Speaking more generally, she says: "I don't suggest we need a formal policy, but you do need a leader who recognizes and respects and desires the diversity of voices and opinions." Top performers 'who happen to be women' At Camden National Bank, the largest Maine-based bank, fi ve out of eight exec- utive team members are female. Looking at how that came to be, President and CEO Gregory Dufour says the focus is on people's talents, their ability to lead and willingness to learn and succeed. " ese are top-performing people who happen to be women," he says. ey include Deborah Jordan, promoted to COO and CFO in late 2014, and Patricia Rose, who joined Camden last year as executive vice president of retail and mortgage banking. Jordan says her mentors have all been male, while Rose says she's had both male and female mentors. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E REDUCE OPERATING COSTS AND INCREASE COMFORT BY UPGRADING TO A HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEATING SYSTEM FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT EFFICIENCYMAINE.COM OR CALL 866-376-2463 Incentives available for ductless mini-split heat pumps, boilers, furnaces, heating controls, and more. Women's leadership resources ¡ The American Bankers Association (www.aba.com) will hold its 2018 Women's Leadership Forum, in conjunction with its Government Relations Summit, on April 25 in Washington, D.C. The ABA also reports that it's attracting more women to its ABA Stonier Graduate School of Business, which had its first graduating class in 1935 and did not admit women until 1964. In 2017, 44% of attendees were women. ¡ The Maine Bankers Association (www.mainebankers.com) expects more than 200 attendees at its Women in Banking Conference June 22 in Augusta. ¡ The Maine Credit Union League (www.mainecul.org) will hold its Women's Leadership Conference Dec. 3 in Freeport. 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If they qualifications and their abilities. If they qualifications and their abilities. If they happen to be a woman, that is a plus.' — Liz Hayes Infi nity Federal Credit Union

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