RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.–CO-OP Financial Services has announced new assignments for two members of its executive management team (EMT). Sarah Canepa Bang has been named Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations, having previously served on the EMT as president of FSCC, LLC, and chief strategy officer for CO-OP Shared Branching.
Craig Beach is now chief operating officer, CO-OP Shared Branching, following work on the EMT as president/COO of Credit Union Service Centers (CUSC). Both will continue to report to Stan Hollen, president/CEO of CO-OP.
“During the CUNA GAC 16 conference last month, it became evident once again how involved and crucial CO-OP is to the credit union movement,” said Hollen. “We are very proud to be a system partner. This position of leadership among CUSOs and suppliers requires cultivation. Sarah is a natural for this position, having great contacts in the industry, while having Craig take leadership of all CO-OP Shared Branching business units – Service Centers Corporation (SCC), CUSC and FSCC – will help us to service our shared branching network and participating credit unions even more efficiently.”
According to CO-OP, in her new role Canepa Bang will coordinate activities with the many credit union organizations that CO-OP supports and works with nationwide. This will include CUNA, as well as state leagues around the country, the World Council of Credit Unions, Filene Research Institute and other organizations.
Hollen also noted that “Sarah has extensive knowledge and history with shared branching and we will certainly call on her to continue providing counsel and guidance on shared branching issues.”
Beach had previously been responsible for SCC and CUSC, and now adds FSCC to his CO-OP Shared Branching responsibilities. CO-OP Shared Branching comprises 5,400 “live teller” branches, making it the third largest network of financial services branches in the country. Shared branching is a unique service of the credit union industry, enabling members of participating credit unions to enter any branch in the network and conduct their business as if they were in their own home branch.
Beach joined CUSC in 2001 as SVP, marketing business development. Prior to that, he spent nine years with Georgia Central Credit Union.