Executive Institute: Organizational Design and Change Management (ODCM)
A development experience for senior leaders shaping the future of the credit union movement.
The Executive Institute is designed for high-potential and senior leaders who are ready to take on the complexity of organizational leadership. As credit unions evolve, executives must do more than manage teams. They must design strong systems, lead meaningful transformation, communicate with clarity, and build cultures that inspire trust and performance. The Institute provides the tools, frameworks, and executive confidence required to lead at this level.
Who the Program Serves
The Executive Institute is built for senior leaders and functional experts who are stepping into enterprise-wide responsibility. Participants may be vice presidents, directors, high-potential successors, or current CEOs seeking to strengthen their effectiveness. The program is ideal for leaders who manage strategic initiatives, navigate change, influence stakeholders, and represent the credit union at a system level.
The common thread is ambition paired with responsibility: individuals who want to elevate their impact and lead with intention.
What Participants Gain
Graduates of the Executive Institute develop the ability to think and lead at an enterprise level. They gain strategic competence in organizational design, broader skill in change leadership, and the communication mastery needed to influence boards, executives, and teams. Participants strengthen trust, cooperation, and alignment across their organizations, while learning how to balance innovation with stability.
Every leader leaves with a clearer sense of direction, a stronger leadership identity, and a powerful executive peer network that extends beyond the classroom.
A Cohort Experience for Senior Leadership
The Institute blends virtual learning, in-person sessions, project work, and executive coaching to mirror the realities of modern leadership. Participants move between learning, reflection, and application, with each session building on the last. The cohort model encourages collaboration across credit unions and expands each leader’s system-wide perspective.
Each participant completes a credit-union-specific change project that ties the coursework directly to organizational value. These projects allow leaders to analyze a real challenge, test new approaches, and deliver tangible results. Each project culminates in a presentation and outcomes report, giving both the participant and their credit union measurable return on investment.
Participants are also paired with a “friendtor” accountability partner and receive individualized coaching to refine career goals, sharpen decision-making, and support their project work.
Pillars of the Curriculum
The Executive Institute is anchored in four leadership pillars that shape modern executive effectiveness:
Competence – Strategic thinking, organizational design, and enterprise-level decision-making
Communication – Executive presence, influence, negotiation, and storytelling
Change – Adaptive leadership, transformation skills, and leading through uncertainty
Cooperation – Culture, collaboration, advocacy, and system-wide impact
These pillars guide the learning journey and reinforce the mindset and capability expected of senior leaders.
Executive Coaching and Support
Participants receive individual coaching sessions to discuss career pathways, project challenges, leadership questions, and long-term goals. These conversations support personal clarity and sharpen the leader’s ability to navigate senior-level complexity.
Friendtor partnerships provide ongoing accountability and connection, helping participants maintain progress between sessions and build supportive peer relationships.
Certification
Upon successful completion of the program, project, and capstone presentation, participants earn the Organizational Design and Change Management (ODCM) certification. This designation signals readiness for senior leadership and reflects mastery of the skills required to lead transformation and drive long-term organizational health.
