Experts from financial lending, automotive and marketing industries to provide credit unions with essential strategies for an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Ontario, CA | April 6, 2018

Experts and innovators from the worlds of finance, automotive and marketing are once again taking center stage during CU Direct’s upcoming DRIVE ’18 Lending Conference. DRIVE’ 18 is expected to welcome more than 500 credit union attendees to the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, May 30 – June 1.

The industry’s foremost lending conference offers attendees comprehensive insight to the latest strategies to build stronger, more profitable lending portfolios and to reach more members.

The conference’s dynamic keynote speakers bring expertise spanning the areas of innovation, finance, economics, and marketing:

Nicholas Webb, world-renowned corporate strategist, innovator, and best-selling author, works with some of the world’s top brands to help them lead their market in Enterprise Strategy, Customer Experience (CX) and Innovation. Nicholas’ books include, The Innovation Playbook, The Digital Innovation Playbook and his Number One Bestselling book, What Customers Crave.
Lee Wetherington, Director of Strategic Insight for Jack Henry & Associates, directs the development of actionable insight and strategy for the financial services industry at large. A highly regarded speaker, Lee’s presentations educate audiences on the trends and implications of new technologies, and the opportunities/challenges in fintech, payments, and the online/mobile/social channels.
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., is a nationally acclaimed economist, renowned public speaker, and syndicated columnist featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, and Fortune. Elliot is the Chief Economist for economic consultancy GraphsandLaughs.
Mark Schulman, having performed for over a billion people, unlocks the “Rockstar Attitude” by incorporating his powerful business philosophy and innovative strategic content with engaging multimedia and drum performances.
Nancy Giordano, Founder/CEO of Play Big Inc., is recognized as one of the world’s top futurists, helping enterprise organizations and visionary leaders transform to meet the escalating expectations ahead. Nancy has spent her career building, shaping and evolving a portfolio of $50 billion worth of major global brands.
Andrew Davis, conference emcee, recognized by CMWorld as one of today’s top Three Most Influential Marketers, best-selling author and CEO of Monumental Shift

DRIVE ’18’s impressive line-up of industry experts and headline speakers also includes:

George Hofheimer – Chief Knowledge Officer, Filene Research Institute
Paul Metrey – Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, NADA
Caroline Willard – CEO, Cornerstone Credit Union League
Melinda Zabritski – Senior Director of Financial Solutions, Experian
Jeff LoCastro – CEO/Founder, Neener Analytics
Rebecca E. Kuehn – Partner, Hudson Cook, LLP
Bryn C. Conway – Principal, BC Strategies
Jim Treece – Editor, Automotive News
Greg Coté – CEO, Accelitas
Sam Taft – Associate Vice President of Analytics, Callahan & Associates
Zhaib Rahim – Manager, Economics & Industry Insights, Cox Automotive
Jeff Shood – CEO, Intuvo
Tony Boutelle – President & CEO, CU Direct

The event’s robust agenda offers attendees more than 20 general and breakout sessions, covering a broad spectrum of industry hot topics:

Trends in innovative financial services and emerging technologies
Lending strategies and best practices
State of today’s automotive landscape
Compliance and regulations
Data breach/ID theft
Member experience and engagement

“Our goal is to deliver the industry’s most comprehensive thought leadership forum, providing strategies to empower credit unions in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” noted Tony Boutelle, CU Direct’s president and CEO. “The conference brings together the expertise and dialogue necessary for credit unions to successfully maximize lending performance and increase their value to members.”

Credit unions interested in attending CU Direct’s Drive ’18 Conference can visit the event’s website, www.cudirect.com/drive or contact the company’s events department at [email protected].

About CU Direct

For more than twenty years, CU Direct has been a lending technology leader, helping credit unions fund $211 billion in loans. More than 1,100 credit unions rely on CU Direct’s solutions to generate loans, create efficiencies, and grow membership. From CUDL, the industry’s number one auto lending platform, to the industry’s revolutionary Lending 360 Loan Origination System, and Lending Insights dynamic analytic tools, CU Direct develops the technology that helps credit unions advance their lending programs and overall portfolio success. 14,000 auto dealers nationwide use CU Direct’s automotive solutions to connect with credit unions and their members to drive sales and increase their bottom lines. For more information, visit www.cudirect.com. Connect with CU Direct on Twitter and LinkedIn.