SAN JOSE, Calif. — Meriwest CU Collections Department Manager Julie Jaquith put her career on the fast track and made the leap to the corner office in just one day.
Of course, she only got to stay in the office for just one day, too. Jaquith was the winner of Meriwest's annual "CEO For A Day" contest that is held as part of the CU's employee appreciation event.
The CEO for a Day program gives one of our employees a tremendous learning opportunity." said CEO Christopher Owen, "The winner will attend meetings and have input at the highest level. Traditionally, our CEO For A Day will put a policy in place or announce an event that would serve the interests of all employees at Meriwest."
Jaquith's big announcement as CEO For A Day: that March 20 would be Pacific Autism Center Day at the $1.2-billion credit union, giving employees the chance to wear jeans for the day if they donate $5 to the center.
Credit Union Journal caught up with Jaquith after the day in the executive suite to find out what it was like being Top Dog for the day.
CU Journal: What did you learn from your day as the CEO?
Jaquith: My day started with our "All Hands on Deck" staff meeting where over 200 MCU employees gather monthly to review our new hires, anniversaries, our monthly financial performance, marketing objectives, and other announcements. I was very nervous addressing our employees as CEO, but eventually relaxed into the role. Although playing the CEO role was a lot of fun and a great learning experience, it made me realize that, although I would love to be the CEO on a permanent basis someday, I have a lot to learn before I could actually step into that senior of a position. I also learned that even with all the daily stress, my job as a collections manager is what I do best.
CU Journal: How will you apply what you've learned now that you have returned to being the collections manager?
Jaquith: Being around Chris Owen (CEO), Julie Kirsch (COO), and Hudson Lee (CFO) impressed me with their professionalism and poise. The Collections Dept. is an incredibly busy department and we are constantly being pulled every which way. Now when that happens, I will remember the poise which our executive team uses to address their business issues. To be a CEO, one has to emulate the abilities of a CEO in their everyday work life.
CU Journal: What do you think the CEO and/or other executives could learn from being collections manager for a day?
Jaquith: Our executive team is quite aware of our side of the business and of the issues involved in collecting our past due accounts. They would probably learn that the term "collections," is not just calling to collect on delinquent loans, it is being in a position to help people. We often play the roles of counselor, advisor, and sometimes just someone for members to talk to during these trying times. That is what I love most about my job.
CU Journal: What were the best and worst parts about being the CEO?
Jaquith: The best was being given the opportunity to implement an event that benefits Meriwest employees and has a charitable impact in the community. On March 20th, if MCU employees want to wear jeans to work, they will pay $5 for the privilege and the total of our donations will go to PACE, the Pacific Autism Center. The worst part about only being the CEO is that it was only for a day. It would take much more than one day to learn the intricacies of the job of our CEO.
CU Journal: Do you aspire to be the CEO of a credit union some day? Why or why not?
Jaquith: Are you kidding? YES, what a thrill to be in a role with the ability to create a positive difference for our members, our employees, and our community. Here, even though we are considered to be a large credit union, our CEO knows his employees and makes an effort to interact with them and create a workplace that is fun and professional at the same time. He makes me want to come to work everyday. Even with the stress of the day to day work, we have a great team and a fun environment to work in. I feel blessed!
