Christy Zaudke

Highly collaborative and service-focused leader with 20+ years of experience driving market share and increasing profitability. Takes pride in building and coaching high-performing teams who consistently excel in competitive markets.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PEOPLE & TEAM DEVELOPMENT: Known for being an approachable people leader who builds and retains high-performing teams, ensuring members feel seen, valued, and empowered. Demonstrated ability to develop in-house leadership programs that nurture future leaders and foster a culture of excellence.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Recognized by colleagues for consistently increasing profitability, net income, and overall financial outcomes that helped achieve overall organizational strategy/goals. Valued as a strategic thought partner and “fixer” who has led several successful turnarounds of underperforming locations and regions.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION: Regularly tapped by Senior Leadership to spearhead enterprise-level initiatives that not only modernize approach but also improve service delivery and customer experience. Leverages excellent consultative communication skills and a deep understanding of cross-functional relationships to gain buy-in and ensure a smooth adoption and roll-out process across the business.

LIGHTHOUSE CREDIT UNION (Formerly Northeast Credit Union) | Portsmouth, NH Jan 2021 – Oct 2024

Impacted by company-wide layoff. 

Vice President of Branch Strategy and Innovation/ Member Service

Brought on to build and implement a multi-channel growth strategy to optimize and oversee the branch network (17 branches), wealth management, and lending in the call center, as well as amplify market penetration. 

• Established a culture of innovation and successfully rolled out new digital integration strategies that propelled the organization into a new era of streamlined operations and enhanced customer service.
• Transitioned retail branches away from a more “old school,” traditional model to a more modern universal model that streamlined the customer experience and empowered team members to offer more products and services to customers confidently. This resulted in 18% loan growth and 23% deposit growth.
• Improved overall retention by 22% and New Hire retention by 20%.
• Identified and launched a Sales and Service program, reshaping the culture for the credit union through empowering leadership.
• Initiated and cultivated high-value stakeholder relationships, effectively enhancing the branch's reputation and influence in the industry. Negotiated/secured multi-million-dollar partnerships, expanding growth and market share.
• Directed comprehensive market research initiatives and data-driven processes that generated actionable insights, which optimized product offerings and significantly boosted customer satisfaction rates, and enhanced customer service.

Vice President, Branches & Member Service (Dec 2013 – Dec 2020)

Assistant Vice President (Aug 2012 – Dec 2013)

Branch Manager (Sept 2011 – Aug 2012)

Promoted to oversee and lead 25 branches across 3 states, stewarding $2B+ in assets while driving corporate vision.

• Doubled member-market growth in 27 months by developing efficacy of staff across 25 branches. 
• Improved member satisfaction rates from 92% to 97%.
• Drove maximum branch productivity and profitability, dramatically improving sales and quality of service.
• Identified and nurtured top talent, mentoring two branch manager direct reports into VP leadership positions.
• Ensured member satisfaction and branch profitability by planning, organizing, directing, and controlling all aspects of Full-Service Branch Administration.
• Recruited, hired, and coached 25 branch managers, establishing a culture of continuous improvement.
• Led development and retention of 250 high-performing member service-oriented branch staff.

BS Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology