INTERNATIONAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM GIVES WOMEN LEADERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER
Submitted. People helping people, it’s a philosophy that all credit unions share, whether in Canada or halfway around the world. During the month of September, Francisca Mantey, Deputy Manager of Operations with the Queen of Peace Credit Union in Ghana joined Prospera Credit Union to take part in a Women’s Mentorship Program.
The program is a global development initiative created by the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and supported by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada. Francisca is one of ten women credit union leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Swaziland and the Philippines who were paired up with host credit unions across Canada to learn about day-to-day operations, policies and services.
The program provides a unique professional development opportunity to female credit union managers of overseas financial co-operatives – many of whom are in developing countries. It also provides a mutual learning opportunity for the women who play host, including Jayne Taylor, who is the Vice President of Member Experience & Business Management at Prospera.
“During her time with us, a team of female leaders within Prospera spent time with Francisca, sharing best practices in a wide variety of areas including everything from leadership coaching to lending, credit underwriting and risk, process improvement, change management and delivering a great member experience,” said Jayne Taylor. “In addition, she spent time with staff at our West Oaks Branch in Abbotsford, where she was really interested in observing how we respond to member needs.”
“Deputy Manager of Operations is a role that is mostly preserved for males in Ghana,” said Francisca Mantey. “I have dedicated myself and worked towards the growth and development of the credit union and I believe I have a lot more to offer to contribute to both local objectives and the global goals of the credit union movement.”
When she returns home to Ghana, Francisca is keen to use what she’s learned to lead her team and achieve the ambitious targets set by her credit union.
“This is the third time I’ve participated in the CCA’s Women’s Mentorship Program and each time it has been an amazing learning experience,” said Jayne Taylor. “Francisca is a dynamic young woman whose commitment to the future sustainability of her credit union makes her a great role model for other young leaders.”
About Prospera Credit Union
Building on more than 70 years as a BC credit union, Prospera is proud to serve a membership that is 63,000 strong. As a values-based financial institution, our number one priority is the financial well-being of families and businesses in our local communities and our dedicated team is here to serve all of their banking, lending, investing and insurance needs through sixteen branches; online and mobile banking and an alternative channel that includes a locally-based Contact Centre and Broker Centre. Through our affiliation with The
Exchange network, members also enjoy access to thousands of surcharge free ATMs across Canada (that’s right, no ATM fees). Making life better for everyone is important at Prospera, which has an extensive community investment program devoted to supporting the organizations, events and volunteers that make our BC communities stronger. To learn more, check out Prospera’s Facebook page or visitwww.dontjustbankprosper.ca.