WOCCU Looks Forward To 7TH Annual Leadership Conference!

Nassau-World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) is gearing up for its 7th annual International Credit Union Leadership Institute, held this year in Nassau, Bahamas, August 1-4. The event will is co-hosted by the Bahamas Co- operative League, Ltd., in cooperation with the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions.

For four days, 1,018 credit union leaders from 37 countries around the world will meet at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island to compare experiences, discuss the latest challenges and issues facing credit unions worldwide, learn best practices from experts in the field and form invaluable connections that will help carry the movement into the future.

This year's theme, "Value in the Credit Union Difference," focuses on meeting the needs of the most important person at any credit union: the member. A program of high-level topics will help participants see their credit unions through the eyes of their members so services will be better tailored and their staff better trained to meet every person's individual needs.

In 14 interactive workshops and breakout sessions, a diverse group of experts will lead discussions on topics ranging from protecting credit unions against computer hackers to "Credit Union Progress Around the World."

Along with general session, workshops and break out sessions there will be opportunities to visit local credit unions. A limited number of participants will tour credit unions to learn about the history, services and operating procedures of these area institutions.

Other highlights of the conference include a trade show, WOCCU's Annual General Meeting and WYCUP—WOCCU's Young Credit Union People—program activities. With the aim of building a strong future for the credit union movement, World Council chooses five outstanding young credit union professionals each year to honor with a WYCUP scholarship to the following year's Leadership Institute.

In the Bahamas, last year's winners and the current nominees will have the chance to network with credit union leaders from around the world, and this year's winners will be announced at the end of the conference. Past participants have called WOCCU's leadership conferences "outstanding" and its speakers "world class." Arthur Arnold, WOCCU president and CEO explained, "We look forward to celebrating the qualities that make credit unions stand out from other financial institutions and exploring how we make those qualities stand out even more."

El Consejo Mundial de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito es la asociación gremial y agencia de desarrollo para el sistema internacional de cooperativas de ahorro y crédito. El Consejo Mundial promueve el crecimiento sustentable de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y otras cooperativas financieras en todo el mundo a fin de facultar a las personas para que mejoren su calidad de vida a través del acceso a servicios financieros asequibles y de alta calidad. El Consejo Mundial realiza esfuerzos de defensa activa en representación del sistema global de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito ante organizaciones internacionales y trabaja con gobiernos nacionales para mejorar la legislación y la regulación. Sus programas de asistencia técnica introducen nuevas herramientas y tecnologías para fortalecer el desempeño financiero de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y profundizar su alcance comunitario.

El Consejo Mundial ha implementado 290 programas de asistencia técnica en 71 países. A nivel mundial, 51,000 cooperativas de ahorro y crédito en 100 países atienden a 196 millones de personas. Obtenga más información sobre el impacto global del Consejo Mundial en www.woccu.org.