Mountain America Credit Union Names Cathy Smoyer Executive Vice President of Technology and Risk
Four of last five executive leadership positions at Mountain America Credit Union filled by women; no gender income wage gap among all employees
Mountain America Credit Union recently named Cathy Smoyer executive vice president of technology and risk. In this role, her responsibilities include strategic direction, performance of information technology, digital banking, information security, enterprise risk management, legal, fraud management functions, governance and compliance. She will also retain her role as the credit union’s chief risk officer.
“When we hire, we look for individuals who share our commitment to providing exceptional experiences to our members and being a vital part of our community,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America. “Cathy will use her leadership skills to compliment the technology and risk talent we already have in place to develop a strong plan for moving the credit union forward.”
Smoyer, a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of banking, credit union, leadership, and risk management experience, has a proven track record of driving growth and improving member experiences through balanced and comprehensive organizational strategies. She was named in Utah Business Magazine’s list of 30 Women to Watch, and she holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Walden University, an MBA and Bachelor of Science from University of Phoenix.
“Mountain America has given me the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the credit union’s success while enhancing my career, and I’m honored to be a part of the team and help provide outstanding member experiences,” said Smoyer. “I look forward to playing a key role in identifying the strategies, products, services and team to support our growth and help our members define and achieve their financial dreams.”
Smoyer’s new role and responsibilities mark a significant milestone as four of Mountain America’s last five executive leadership positions have been filled by women. In the last year, female executive appointments included Amy Moser, chief lending officer, Sharlene Wells, senior vice president of public relations and organizational communications, and Nanette Graviet, senior vice president of risk management.
According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, women make up 44% of the labor force in Utah. However, a recent WalletHub study indicates that Utah is the worst-ranked state in the nation for women's rights in key areas such as workplace environment, education, health, political empowerment, income gap between men and women, work hour disparity and educational attainment among advanced degree holders.
Mountain America shows equity is possible, despite these trends. Female employees outnumber their male counterparts and there is no income gap between genders at Mountain America. With more than 3,000 employees, the credit union offers fair compensation by position, regardless of gender.
“We take great pride in identifying and hiring top-tier talent that will enable us to achieve our mission of helping our members define and achieve their financial dreams,” said Trent Savage, chief human resources officer at Mountain America. “We proactively monitor the latest developments in employment equality to ensure that our employees’ values are addressed and taken into consideration as it relates to hiring and retaining talent.”
For more information about Mountain America and to see open positions, please visit www.macu.com.
