GOLD COAST, Australia — The world's credit union movement leaders Rob Nicholls and Michael Koisen received World Council of Credit Unions' Distinguished Service Award (DSA), the industry's top global honor, at the 2014 World Credit Union Conference closing ceremonies in Gold Coast, Australia. Recognition was also given to recipients of the World Council Young Credit Union People (WYCUP) scholarship program, Manager Certification Program, Global Women's Leadership Network scholarship and Credit Union Ambassador Award.
Nicholls, former deputy CEO of Credit Union of Australia; chair of Cuscal Ltd.; and director of Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA), Credit Union Foundation of Australia (CUFA) and World Council, has committed his career to the Australian, New Zealand and global credit union movements for over 30 years. As a World Council director (1999-2003), he supported the organization's international development activities by establishing project sharing and cooperation with CUFA, visiting projects and recruiting Worldwide Foundation Supporters and WYCUP participants throughout Australia.
Koisen—CEO of Teachers Savings and Loan Society, Papua New Guinea's largest credit union—has worked with credit unions for 33 years throughout the Pacific region and the world. His development service in the Pacific included the foundation of the Oceanic Confederation of Credit Union Leagues, where he served as chairman, and of the Pacific Credit Union Technical Congress, which he has helped implement each year with World Council and CUFA since 2008. He also aided World Council with implementing the region's Manager Certification Program to improve credit union staff's financial management skills.