Bits & Banks - With Aditya Khandekar and Alissa Sykes - Episode 4

Bits & Banks with Alissa Sykes and Aditya Khandekar

In our latest episodes of Bits & Banks, Alissa Sykes Tulloch (EVP, COO at AmeriCU) dives deep into what it takes to run a modern, member-centric credit union while embracing digital transformation. Using the spirit of Dave Matthews Band as a metaphor (!!), we explore the “space between” member expectations and organizational capability.

Key Takeaways from the podcast:

• People First Strategy

  • The foundation of great execution at CUs is “having the right people in the right seats.” Credit unions need a balance of institutional knowledge and fresh, digital-first talent to truly transform.

    
    

• Balancing Tradition and Innovation

  • Credit unions serve two distinct member bases: traditional banking members and digitally savvy, younger members. Personalizing experiences (and teams) for both, while preserving the cooperative, people-helping-people ethos, is key.

    
    

• Digital Transformation is Not Just the Front-End

  • Investing in top-notch member interfaces is pointless if your back office can’t keep up. Streamlining both the member-facing and the employee-facing processes is vital for true agility and sustained service excellence.

    
    

• Scalability and Partnerships

  • With rapid loan growth, credit unions must shift from manual, labor-intensive processes to scalable, technology-driven solutions. Success increasingly depends on strategic partnerships — with fintechs, AI providers, and expert vendors, along with tools that support both risk management (fraud, compliance) and long-term growth.

    
    

• Continuous Member Engagement

  • True success lies in engaging members across the full lifecycle—from origination to marketing to customer management—with proactive support and care at every stage.

    
    

One Quote from Alissa

“If you’re going through transformation and building an ambitious strategy, make sure you actually have the infrastructure and the skill set to execute it—or you will misstep. Start with your people. The right people, aligned and coachable, are the secret sauce for bringing strategy to life.”

We’ll be back soon with new voices, sharper insights, and a closer look at how digital transformation is changing the lives of members or customers.

Got thoughts? Challenges? Wins worth sharing?

Hit reply and tell us. We would love to hear your story.