ANTIGO, Wis.—CoVantage Credit Union has named longtime industry executive Matt Kaudy as its next president and CEO following a nationwide search, with the appointment set to take effect June 1.
Kaudy will succeed Charlie Zanayed, who is retiring after 13 years leading the Wisconsin-based credit union. During Zanayed’s tenure, CoVantage said it grew from approximately $1 billion in assets, 80,000 members and 280 employees to more than $4 billion in assets, 183,000 members and more than 500 employees.
“We are deeply grateful for Charlie’s leadership and the lasting impact he has made on CoVantage, its member-owners, and its employees,” Board Chair Mike Windberg said in a statement. Windberg added the board was confident Kaudy was “the right leader for CoVantage’s next chapter” following what it described as a planned succession process and comprehensive national search.
Kaudy brings more than two decades of credit union experience to the role. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief growth officer at EECU Credit Union, a $4.7-billion credit union based in Fort Worth, Texas, where he oversaw corporate strategy as well as payments, digital banking, marketing, financial centers and community engagement initiatives.
Prior to joining EECU in 2015, Kaudy held senior leadership positions at NASA Federal Credit Union and Fairfax County Federal Credit Union, which is now part of Apple Federal Credit Union. In a statement, Kaudy said CoVantage’s focus on its mission, members and communities “strongly resonates with me” and said he looks forward to “listening, learning, and working alongside the CoVantage team as we continue to strengthen our impact and serve our members.”