Her Story
About Joan
Joan Gusman serves as Branch Manager at University Federal Credit Union located at 2500 Gulf Freeway in League City, Texas. With more than 25 years in finance, she started as a bank teller, progressed to new accounts representative, assistant manager, and branch manager within five years. Gusman holds a high school diploma with some college and recently obtained her Certified Credit Union Financial Health Counselor certification through the FICEP/FISAP cohort. Her expertise lies in leadership, branch management, and financial health counseling, where she focuses on developing employees, supporting community partnerships, and improving members' financial well-being. She leads with a people-first approach, emphasizing trust, transparency, and authentic relationships, inspired by her mother's example of making customers feel valued. Gusman volunteers as committee chair for her credit union's efforts with the Galveston County Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Goodwill, and she advocates for embracing technology and AI while preserving human connections in member services.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joan
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success comes from building relationships and leading with purpose, lessons I learned from watching my mom run her restaurant where she made customers feel valued by knowing their names and caring about their families. I lead my team the same way, investing in people first so results follow, always willing to learn and serve with authenticity.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice came from my mom who showed me that success is built on relationships, not just transactions. She treated every customer like family at her hamburger restaurant, and that taught me to always be authentic, genuine, and foster relationships while maintaining a growth mindset.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be authentic and genuine with humility. Continue to challenge yourself and grow without getting stagnant or comfortable. Foster relationships even with those you don't always agree with, stay open-minded, and maintain a growth mindset to develop into the leader you can be.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity and challenge is staying on top of rapidly advancing technology and AI without fear, while carefully testing changes to ensure they positively impact members and employees. We must embrace innovation but keep the human connection at the center of everything we do.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust is the most important value, earned by listening, being present, setting good expectations, and showing you care about others' growth and success. Transparency and strong communication build the relationships that allow people to reach beyond what they thought possible.
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