Brandon Michaels has ‘people first’ focus as CEO of OneAZ Credit Union
Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal
When Brandon Michaels joined OneAZ Credit Union as president and CEO in May 2023, his goal was to build upon the credit union’s legacy as a ‘people first’ organization.
A year and a half later, Michaels has remained focused on that mission, while also ensuring the credit union is preparing for growth by remaining at the forefront of emerging technology to improve members’ in-person and digital banking experience.
“The goal has always been to stay true to that, but also embracing innovation so that we can meet members where they’re at and make sure that we’re leveraging and aligning with where members expect us to be in 2024 and beyond,” Michaels said.
Michaels has more than 20 years of credit union leadership experience. Prior to OneAZ Credit Union, he served as head of corporate development at Indiana-based Allied Solutions LLC, a provider of insurance, lending and marketing products to financial institutions nationwide. He was also previously president and CEO of Wellby Financial in Houston and Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City, Missouri.
Under his leadership, OneAZ Credit Union is embarking on new technology initiatives, such as exploring the potential for blockchain in the financial industry by joining San Francisco-based Metallicus’ Banking Innovation Program.
The credit union also became a limited partner is Curql Fund II, which is operated by the Curql Collective, a group of credit unions and industry partners investing in fintechs and emerging banking technologies. Iowa-based venture capital firm Next Level Ventures manages the collective’s investments in portfolio companies.
Earlier this month, OneAZ Credit Union agreed to acquire 1st Bank Yuma in a cash deal that would make the combined entity the second-largest credit union in the Valley, behind Desert Financial Credit Union, which holds $8.8 billion in assets.
If approved, OneAZ’s acquisition of 1st Bank Yuma will increase the credit union’s assets to more than $4 billion and add 1st Bank’s five branches in Yuma, San Luis and Nogales, expanding its locations to 25, the Business Journal previously reported.
Regulatory approval for the transaction is expected to occur by mid-2025 and the two organizations will be fully integrated in 2026.
Currently, OneAZ Credit Union has more than $3.4 billion in assets under management and serves 220,000 members.
“For me, it has been incredibly exciting leading the organization,” Michaels said. “It has been a very successful organization for 72 years and we’re building on that legacy, but also making sure that the next 72 years are just as bright.”
What prompted OneAZ’s decision to explore emerging financial technologies? It always starts with our membership. In today’s world, if you’re not evolving technologically, you’re falling behind. We have to streamline our mobile app, improve cybersecurity, and be more agile to approaches for IT operations, so that we can iterate and innovate quickly because technology is such a crucial part of our lives today and, certainly, for how we serve members. Every interaction has to be fast, reliable, secure and it has to talk across platforms. We have to make sure that we’re always looking ahead to future innovations and so that’s what technology is about. That’s what the Curql fund is about. That’s what blockchain is about. It’s about making sure that we meet the member where they’re at.
What led to your financial industry career? I’m a third-generation banking CEO, and so it’s easy for people to say banking is in my blood, but I didn’t really want to be in finance initially. I wanted to be a marine biologist or a commercial pilot because I love aviation. I still fly today, and, certainly, I have a passion for the ocean. As I got older and went to college, I started thinking about what I wanted my degree to be in and said, ‘I guess I’ll do finance.’ Before I graduated college, I did an internship with the FDIC and they hired me full-time after graduation and that is really what set the foundation for my career – learning the ins and outs of banking, how to analyze certain things and how to talk to high-level executives at really big banks. Then, I became a CFO at a small credit union in Los Angeles. As I’ve grown in my career, it’s not just about finance — it’s about making an impact on peoples’ lives and finance just happens to be the venue to do it.
Can you describe your approach to leadership? My approach to leadership is rooted in creating a people-first culture. It’s about trust, empowerment, accountability. As a CEO, I have high expectations, but that’s because our members have high expectations of us. My passion is energizing organizations and elevating people. Then, I give people the tools they need to succeed and get rid of the things that are getting in their way, so they can be their best. At the same time, I hold myself and my team accountable to high standards, always ensuring that we’re working towards growth, innovation, and putting the member at the center of all of that.
What’s in store for OneAZ Credit Union in the future? The focus in the near-term is making sure everybody in the organization has a growth mindset. One of the things that we’ve done at OneAZ is laid out a very compelling, energizing strategy and we have to make sure that everybody is ready for that.
Long-term, I want OneAZ to become a leader — not only in Arizona — but across the credit union space nationwide. That goes back to technology, making sure that we’re expanding our digital footprint, continuing to improve our member experience and ensuring we’re a place where people love to work and where our members feel valued and appreciated. We’ll have some expansion announcements in the West Valley within the next six months or so. A lot of things are still in the works.