Alex de la Cruz, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Alex grew up in the agriculture-rich Yakima Valley in Central Washington state, with his first jobs picking fruit and produce in orchards of the area. After college, he launched his career with Bank of America, and over the next decade, he learned the framework of banking, gaining business acumen in differentiating products and services, marketing, and operations.
A CAREER IN CREDIT UNIONS
Since 2013, Alex has shared his talents with three of the largest credit unions in the United States, most recently in Texas and New York. “My focus has been on bringing exceptional products and experiences to the members we serve. Simply being nice or counting money quickly is no longer good enough for members. As I see it, our job is to provide an easy, seamless experience – no matter whether the product is in-branch, online, or mobile.”
SLFCU: A LEGACY OF SERVICE
“I was attracted to the Credit Union’s 74-year legacy,” says Alex, “and also the chance to help take this organization to the next level of success.” My wife and I are excited to be here in Albuquerque, and in the Southwest. The decision to join Sunward was an easy one, he says, because of the feedback he received about the organization. “Not only is Sunward admired within the community and industry, I believe there is also an opportunity for the organization to step in and offer financial services where other national and commercial banks are stepping out – in the Albuquerque area and beyond.”
As part of this strategy, says Alex, members will definitely start to see the Sunward brand out and about. “We’ll be showing up in all kinds of advertising from print to digital. We’ve been a well-kept secret, but I aim to change that. When you connect this opportunity with our great employees and new CEO, our future sounds pretty exciting!”
