The Futurestep division at Korn Ferry, an organizational advisory firm, said it is establishing a dedicated Credit Union and Community Banking Recruiting practice area.
The company said it is bringing on two industry veterans to lead and expand the offering: Mike Juratovac and Mary Leonardi.
Juratovac was named sector leader, Futurestep Credit Union and Community Banking, an offering that falls within Korn Ferry Futurestep's North America Financial Services practice. Juratovac has more than 20 years of executive search and consulting experience, with a specific focus on financial services – credit unions and community banks in particular, the company said.
Leonardi joined the firm as managing consultant, Korn Ferry Futurestep Credit Union and Community Banking. Having worked in the recruiting and talent management space for more than 15 years, Leonardi has a background in the areas of human resources and executive recruitment and retention strategies within the credit union and broad financial services industries.
"We are excited to bring on Mike and Mary, who both have stellar reputations as leaders and a great team in this space," Eric Goldstein, Global Market Leader, Korn Ferry Futurestep Financial Services, said in a statement. "We see enormous potential for this practice, as the popularity of credit unions is skyrocketing among consumers as they typically offer lower fees and better returns. Additionally, following the 2008 financial crisis, many U.S. consumers moved their savings from large banks to credit unions and community banks."
According to the National Credit Union Administration, there are nearly 6,000 federally insured credit unions in the United States, with more than $1.2 trillion in assets.
"As the credit union industry continues to evolve in complexity and sophistication, the need for strategically placed business partners who can provide counsel on compensation, board governance and talent acquisition has never been more important," said Juratovac. "The industry as a whole has become increasingly reliant on talent consulting services, including talent acquisition, workforce planning and employee development."
"With the addition of Mike and Mary, we are making a strategic investment in in our Financial Services practice that enables us to better serve our credit union and community banking clients across Korn Ferry's three lines of business," added Gloria Mirrione, North American Market Leader, Korn Ferry Futurestep Financial Services.
