For credit unions, growth means more than getting bigger — it’s about building smarter.
In the second episode of The Voices of MDT, EMILY SZYMCZAK, CPA, CFE, MDT’s Chief Financial Officer, shares how she approaches scalability through connection and purpose. From strengthening systems to fostering trust across teams, Emily’s story is about creating a foundation where innovation—and people—can thrive.
🎥 Watch Emily’s story below.
#TheVoicesOfMDT#CreditUnions#Leadership#Growth#Scalability
My name's Emily Szymsiak, and I am the chief financial officer of MDT. So, I grew up in Michigan originally, um, went to University of Michigan undergrad and grad, and then moved to Chicago, um, for my career really until now, um, for 20-plus years. I was introduced actually by, um, MDT's attorney, um, but the minute he told me about the company, I was super excited and, um, applied to the job and thankfully got the opportunity to interview. Coming from advertising, that's the industry I come from, people turn over roughly every two years. Um, it's a pretty tumultuous industry, and so, shifting gears into fintech and into place where people have been here 15-plus years. just sounded amazing to me that I could kind of get settled. So, my whole career really I've targeted high-growth companies, and, I've come in and my job has really been around building out the financial infrastructure to scale. Everything's great right now, um, but making sure we're positioned for being scalable for the next phase, that's really what I see my role here. As we become more scalable and we take on more clients, I see it as that' we can offer better, quicker services to them, um, and respond to them faster. I just see so much opportunity talking to clients even here where they need help, you know, figuring out how to implement things, how to change things, how to project manage things, and I think our team is awesome at that. And so we have a huge opportunity ahead at kind of forging ahead and leading, leading the change across not only MDT but our clients. You know, I'm all about team and getting to know my people, and so, you know, I've already spent time with every single person in my team top to bottom and, um, as well as, you know, the broader team with all the vice presidents and managers. You know, I love having relationships in and outside of work with everybody I work with, um, 'cause then we can solve problems together. One of my biggest assets coming here is being able to look at the current process and, um, systems and everything and really quickly diagnose how to make 'em scalable and more efficient. I look forward to leveraging my past in coming in and helping companies scale and get positioned for high growth and seeing that be a success at MDT. I would say the one thing that we really gotta fix is this file cloud thing we use to save files with. It' just does, uh, not work. Can I say that? No, that's got- Well, you should actually, and then we- That'll be a blooper.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴:
“We know we need a perpetuation plan, we just haven’t gotten to it yet.”
I get it. You’re focused on clients, growth, and today’s challenges. But waiting too long is one of the biggest risks to your firm’s future.
When transition is forced, value erodes, urgency drives discounts, and confidence fades.
Succession isn’t about stepping back — 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁
#SuccessionPlanning#WealthManagement#Leadership#MarshBerry
What does it take to lead finance in a high growth, private equity–backed business?
We spoke with Dominique Highfield, the first ever CFO of Bloom & Wild, about leadership, private equity, and the consumer trends set to define 2026, from values based spending to frictionless digital experiences.
In this conversation, Dominique shares her perspective on:
- The unique opportunities and challenges of leading finance in a private equity-backed business
- Her experiences as a female leader in senior finance roles
- Advice for aspiring C-suite leaders
To read the full Q&A, visit the link in our comments below.
#ConsumerTech#PrivateEquity#WomenInFinance
Feeling buried in decisions—and still unclear?
If you're leading a $1–5M business, freedom doesn’t come from stepping back.
It comes from getting clear.
This carousel walks through the connection between clarity and leadership capacity—and what might be keeping you stuck in the weeds.
→ Swipe to see where profit leaks are hiding in plain sight.
#WomenInBusiness#LeadershipClarity#FractionalCFO#ProfitStrategy#TanaKramer
Board dysfunction isn’t always obvious - but its impact can be.
In our latest thought leadership piece, EC1 Executive speaks with Lucy Nottingham, Senior Director of Governance Content at the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), to explore how boards in financial services and fintech can address misalignment, strengthen culture, and enhance strategic impact.
Lucy shares insight on:
• The rising issue of board dysfunction
• Culture vs. structure - and why both matter
• Board-CEO dynamics and leadership succession
• The critical role of the Chair
• Practical steps for improving effectiveness
“Failing to establish an effective boardroom culture is akin to opening Pandora’s box. Tone at the top is critical.” - Lucy Nottingham
Read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvVnW5F8#ThoughtLeadership#CorporateGovernance#BoardEffectiveness#Fintech#FinancialServices#Leadership#EC1Executive
Board dysfunction isn’t always obvious - but its impact can be.
In our latest thought leadership piece, EC1 Executive speaks with Lucy Nottingham, Senior Director of Governance Content at the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), to explore how boards in financial services and fintech can address misalignment, strengthen culture, and enhance strategic impact.
Lucy shares insight on:
• The rising issue of board dysfunction
• Culture vs. structure - and why both matter
• Board-CEO dynamics and leadership succession
• The critical role of the Chair
• Practical steps for improving effectiveness
“Failing to establish an effective boardroom culture is akin to opening Pandora’s box. Tone at the top is critical.” - Lucy Nottingham
Read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvVnW5F8#ThoughtLeadership#CorporateGovernance#BoardEffectiveness#Fintech#FinancialServices#Leadership#EC1Executive
Strong boards drive great companies. Misaligned ones can quietly derail them.
I’ve seen firsthand how even the smallest cracks in board alignment can lead to major strategic drift. It’s often not about a lack of structure — but a lack of shared culture, leadership clarity, and alignment at the top.
This conversation with Lucy Nottingham at NACD is a sharp reminder of what separates high-performing boards from those that quietly hold companies back.
A great read for anyone working with or sitting on a board. 👇
#Leadership#BoardEffectiveness#CorporateGovernance#Fintech#FinancialServices#EC1Executive
Board dysfunction isn’t always obvious - but its impact can be.
In our latest thought leadership piece, EC1 Executive speaks with Lucy Nottingham, Senior Director of Governance Content at the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), to explore how boards in financial services and fintech can address misalignment, strengthen culture, and enhance strategic impact.
Lucy shares insight on:
• The rising issue of board dysfunction
• Culture vs. structure - and why both matter
• Board-CEO dynamics and leadership succession
• The critical role of the Chair
• Practical steps for improving effectiveness
“Failing to establish an effective boardroom culture is akin to opening Pandora’s box. Tone at the top is critical.” - Lucy Nottingham
Read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvVnW5F8#ThoughtLeadership#CorporateGovernance#BoardEffectiveness#Fintech#FinancialServices#Leadership#EC1Executive
If you combine banking + creating community, you get credit unions.
They often utilize some of the pillars of connection such as:
1. Creating a shared identity: people using credit unions often live in the same region, or work at the same place, for example.
2. Reinvesting in community- often credit unions will support community initiatives.
3. Their "clients" have a say in the decisions credit unions make. It's real inclusive leadership.
I'm so excited to be presenting at CUInsight.com's Mini-Con on How Community Drives Engagement and Retention. I'll be sharing science-back tips to help credit unions forward their goals of creating community.
Strong teams build strong credit unions.
Join credit union leaders from across the country for CUInsight.com's Mini-Con brought to you by Allied Solutions LLC on November 19, 2025. This virtual event is designed to help your team grow, connect, and lead with purpose. No hotels, planes, or expensive travel, enjoy big conference energy right from your desk!
👉🏻 What to expect:
• A keynote from Dr. Marisa G. Franco, New York Times bestselling author of Platonic, exploring how connection and belonging drive workplace success.
• A CEO panel featuring Leigh Brady (SECU), Steven Stapp, CUDE (Unitus Community Credit Union), and Carlos Calderon (OAS FCU)
• Breakout sessions sponsored by Alacriti and Humanidei, focused on leadership, culture, and innovation in credit unions.
Investing in your team is one of the most impactful decisions you can make. CUInsight Mini-Con delivers actionable insights and meaningful discussions that empower growth and strengthen your organization from the inside out.
Sign up your entire team today! https://lnkd.in/eCsfhmxy#CreditUnions#LeadershipDevelopment#CUInsight#MiniCon#ProfessionalGrowth#CreditUnionLeadership#TeamDevelopment
Executive coaching for ambitious creative leaders | Trade fear for self trust to lead with possibility, purpose and impact | Barista & Coffee Enthusiast | Coastal Cali Explorer | ACC & CPCC
Connection doesn’t just happen. It’s something we build, deposit by deposit.
In this week’s episode of Unfiltered Leadership, Emily Merrell, founder of Second Degree Society, shares her philosophy on maintaining relationships: think of connection like a bank account.
Every time you follow up, check in, or offer support, you’re making a deposit. And when you’ve consistently nurtured those relationships, you can draw on them. Not out of transaction, but trust.
It’s a powerful reminder that sustained leadership and meaningful networking are built on one thing: consistency.
🎧 Listen to my full conversation with Emily. Links in comments 👇
#UnfilteredLeadership#ValuesBasedLeadership#SelfLeadership#PersonalGrowth
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer | ShiftMate – The AI Growth and Efficiency Platform for Credit Unions and Banks | Ex-CTO/CDO/CISO
1moWelcome! 🙏