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Meet the people leading YNCU forward

Our leadership team brings together experience, perspective, and a shared commitment to making banking better for our members. They help turn YNCU’s purpose into action and guide where we go next.

An exterior photo of the YNCU Sault Ste. Marie Bay branch at dusk with people walking by

YNCU's Leadership team

YNCU’s leadership team brings experience across banking, operations, technology, risk, people, culture, and member experience. Their work is to help YNCU grow with purpose, make sound decisions, and keep improving how members experience the credit union.

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    Chief Executive Officer

    Lisa Colangelo

    Lisa has extensive experience as a senior-level executive with over 20 years of success driving strategic business growth efforts across districts, territories, and branches for TD Bank, Western Financial Group, and Coast Capital Savings. Most recently, she held the role of Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer at Western Financial Group. Lisa has successfully delivered exceptional experiences by leading with both heart and mind, developing people, and driving results through others She also recently completed her Masters of Business Administration at Dalhousie University. Lisa is a banker by background starting in the industry as a part-time teller while attending York University. She has held every role in Branch Banking as well as roles in Strategy, Operations, Learning & Development, and Contact Centres. Lisa began her career with TD Bank and joined Coast Capital Credit Union in 2018. Most recently, Lisa has been at Western Financial where she has been accountable for enterprise strategy, transformation, data analytics, enablement, marketing, brand, community, and customer experience. Lisa is excited to get back to banking and specifically our purpose-driven industry.

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    Chief Commercial Officer

    Aimee Wagner

    Aimee Wagner is Chief Retail Excellence Officer, where she leads the YNCU Member Services team and Retail Operations, with a focus on enhancing the retail member experience. She first joined YNCU almost a decade ago and has enjoyed many roles throughout her career, most recently as the VP of Retail Services. Following the retirement of CEO Gord Harrison in April 2024, Aimee Wagner was named as Interim Chief Executive Officer and held the position until September 2024. With over 20 years working in business, investment and retail financial services, Aimee has been afforded a unique perspective and is passionate about the YNCU member experience. She has a well-rounded understanding of the business, supported by servicing our members and employees and coming to understand the synergies it takes to deliver a consistent, and supportive journey. Aimee has sat on numerous Boards of Directors including Nurse Practitioners as well as shelters for at risk youth. Aimee is passionate about empathetic leadership, and ensuring a team approach that includes collaboration and trust to help create a dynamic experience for staff and YNCU members. She believes that in all jobs we do, and with all people we support, we shouldn’t leave our hearts at home.

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    Chief Financial Officer

    Lara Stilin, CPA, CA

    Lara Stilin was welcomed back to YNCU as Chief Financial Officer in January 2021. She was previously YNCU’s Director of Finance and Accounting where she oversaw the organization’s external financial and regulatory reporting. In October 2019, Lara broadened her experience with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation as their Director of Tax, Treasury and Transactions before her return to YNCU. As CFO, Lara is our Senior Executive responsible for Finance, Accounting and Facilities. Lara received her Bachelor of Business Administration with an accounting specialization from Algoma University. Upon assuming her role as CFO, Lara became the youngest ever CFO for the credit union. “As a young person, I’m excited to continue to contribute to my community. This opportunity to work in the credit union helps push the community forward.” Outside of her role with YNCU, Lara is also a board member of the F.J. Davey Home—a long term care facility in Sault Ste. Marie.

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    Chief People & Culture Officer

    Jane Walker

    Jane Walker joined YNCU as Chief People & Culture Officer in February 2025, bringing with her a wealth of experience in human resources and financial services. Jane began her career on the front lines of banking as a Customer Service Manager, before moving into leadership roles including Assistant Manager and Customer Concerns Officer. Her frontline experience shaped her people-first approach and laid the foundation for her transition into human resources. Jane has served as an HR Business Partner across a variety of functions, including Retail Banking, Auto Finance, and Operations, and has led Total Rewards teams in both unionized and non-unionized environments. She brings a strong track record of building trusted partnerships with business leaders and helping organizations align people strategies with business goals. With experience in both large-scale corporations and smaller organizations, Jane is known for her deep HR expertise, strong business acumen, and commitment to culture. Her leadership supports YNCU’s ongoing focus on building an engaged, empowered, and values-driven workplace.

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    Chief Risk Officer

    Zarrar Lodhi

    Zarrar Lodhi joined YNCU as Chief Risk Officer in April 2025. With more than two decades of experience in domestic and international banking, Zarrar brings deep expertise in risk management, compliance, commercial banking, and building high-performing teams. He is known for fostering a strong risk culture that supports organizational growth while safeguarding its long-term stability. Prior to joining YNCU, Zarrar served as Vice President of Risk Management at Westoba Credit Union, where he led enterprise risk strategy, retail and commercial credit adjudication, lending support, and collections. During Westoba’s recent merger with Assiniboine Credit Union and Caisse Financial Group, Zarrar took on an expanded leadership role overseeing Agricultural and Rural Credit integration. Zarrar’s career also spans global financial institutions. He was Executive Vice President of Risk Management at Meezan Bank in Pakistan and previously served as Regional Business Head for HSBC Bank Middle East, leading commercial banking, cash management, trade sales, and deposits. His combined Canadian and international regulatory knowledge brings a broad and strategic perspective to his role. At YNCU, Zarrar leads the organization’s risk, commercial, and collections teams, ensuring a balanced approach that prioritizes both sound governance and member experience.

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    Chief Member Experience Officer

    Kristy Rachkowski

    Kristy Rachkowski brings a diverse background in retail banking, insurance, and entrepreneurship to her role as Chief Member Experience Officer, where she will oversee YNCU Member Experience, Retail Operations, Operational Excellence, and our Service Excellence Centre, with a focus on delivering exceptional and consistent member experiences. Most recently, she served as Chief People and Culture Officer at Western Financial Group, where she led the HR function with a focus on continuous improvement, enhancing recruitment and retention, revamping their total rewards offering, building succession planning frameworks, and championing corporate social responsibility initiatives. Kristy’s career in financial services began with TD Bank, where she started as a customer service representative and advanced to senior leadership roles including Vice President of Human Resources for the Canadian retail branch network and District Vice President for the Muskoka region, overseeing 22 branches with a focus on sales coaching and delivering exceptional employee and customer experiences. In addition to her corporate career, Kristy built and operated Sault Ste. Marie's first plant-based restaurant for nearly five years, further strengthening her understanding of customer needs and service excellence. Deeply committed to community involvement, Kristy currently volunteers as President of the Board for the North Channel Minor Hockey Association (NCMHA). She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Business Administration from Dalhousie University.

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    Chief Digital and Technology Officer

    André Rodrigues

    André brings more than 18 years of senior technology leadership experience across the financial services and telecommunications sectors. He has held leadership roles with CI Financial, Sun Life Financial, Bell Canada, and TD Bank, most recently serving as Vice President, IT Infrastructure and Operations at CI Financial. Throughout his career, André has led large-scale technology transformation programs, including cloud migration and modernization, cybersecurity and risk management, enterprise automation, and artificial intelligence strategy. He has also built and led high-performing global teams while strengthening operational resilience and improving how technology supports business priorities. André holds a Masters of Business Administration specializing in IT Management and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics. His professional credentials include Certified Information Systems Security Professional and Certified Information Security Manager.

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    Legacy Comtech Fire Chief Transformation Officer

    David Birak