Credit unions futurists and keynote speakers’ phones are ringing off the hook lately. Timing-wise, we’re not surprised, given just how much uncertainty and geopolitical volatility are in the air as of recently. Of course, there’s more to the story than that, though. Known for our credit union futurist and keynote speaking work, we thought we’d take you through some of the top reasons why financial institutions like these may hire futurists:
- Strategic foresight – To help the leadership anticipate key trends, technologies, and forces of change that will impact the credit union industry in 5-10 years.
- Scenario planning – Develop plausible scenarios depicting different potential futures and strategies the credit union could adopt to navigate them – a major focus of credit union futurists’ efforts.
- Foresight training – Provide foresight and future-oriented thinking workshops to the executive team and board members.
- Emerging technologies – Educate the organization on disruptive technologies like blockchain, AI, open banking etc. that may transform financial services.
- Member expectations – Gain insight into how member priorities, values, attitudes, and financial behaviors may evolve in the future, also a hot topic among credit union futurists.
- Competitor landscape – Project how the competitive space may change with new fintech entrants, digitization, open banking etc.
- Workforce readiness – Understand capabilities and skills the workforce will need to serve members effectively as the industry transforms.
- Regulatory outlook – Anticipate potential new regulations and compliance issues on the horizon to strategize accordingly.
- Innovation culture – Inspire a future-focused culture that embraces innovation and adaptability needed to remain competitive.
- New opportunities – Identify areas for growth and new offerings aligned to future consumer needs the credit union can pioneer.
Bottom line? Credit unions futurists help firms future-proof their strategy and operations in a rapidly changing world.