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C-Suite Strategy Summit

Aug 18 8:30 AM - Aug 18, 2026 4:00 PM
Aug 18, 2026 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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Description

Calling all C-Suite Leaders! 

Join us for the second annual CSuite Strategy Summit hosted by The League, featuring dynamic sessions led by some of the most innovative and forward-thinking leaders in the credit union movement. Together, we’ll explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the financial services landscape. You’ll gain actionable insights, practical tools, and strategic foresight to position your credit union for success in 2027 and beyond.

Agenda

8:30am - 9:00am
Check-in and Light Breakfast 
 
9:00am - 9:15am
Welcome Address and Introductions 

9:15am - 12:00pm
Leading in Complexity: Leadership Strategy When There Are No Easy Answers
Sarah Noll Wilson, CEO & Founder, Sarah Noll Wilson Group 

In today’s organizations, leaders are increasingly asked to make high-stakes decisions when the problem itself isn’t fully understood, the environment keeps shifting, the situation has layers, and people’s emotions, values, and identities are deeply involved. Yet most leadership development still focuses on technical competence—clear problems, known solutions, and decisive execution. This interactive Strategy Lab introduces leaders to a different way of working: Leading in Complexity™—a disciplined leadership practice designed for uncertainty, ongoing challenges, and adaptive work. 

Participants will learn how to slow their thinking without losing momentum, distinguish between technical problems and adaptive challenges, and approach strategy, goals, and difficult conversations as opportunities for learning rather than premature certainty. Rather than offering a formula or a one-size-fits-all framework, this session immerses participants in a practical, science-informed approach that strengthens judgment, improves decision-making, and builds organizational trust over time. This is not a lecture. It is a lab—designed for leaders ready to engage in deeper thinking and leave with tools they can immediately apply. 

12:00pm - 12:45pm
Lunch 
Refuel, recharge, and build valuable connections with fellow leaders. 

12:45pm - 2:30pm
The Gap in the Middle: Moving Confidently from Strategy to Execution
Catie McDonald,  Director of Credit Union Relations, TruStage

Updating your strategy feels great! Gearing back up to execute that strategy is where the rubber hits the road but also the motivation may wain.  More likely, it's where the breaks hit the pavement, work gets complex, and how to execute on all of these great ideas gets blurry.  Honestly, this is where most strategies fail.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  By building a unique toolbox that connects your work, then your strategy increases the probability of success and your execution roadmap path becomes clear.  During this two-hour interactive workshop, we'll discuss how best to move forward, what tools we should use, how AI enables that toolbox, and how to operationalize this work into everything that you do.

2:30pm - 2:45pm
Break

2:45pm - 3:30pm
Digital Dollars, Real Impact: Stablecoins and the Future of the Credit Union Ecosystem, Jack Lefelar, Senior Associate, TruStage Ventures

Stablecoins have become a buzzword in financial circles, but understanding their real-world impact can be challenging - what do they truly mean for credit unions, and how can we approach this technology with both innovation and member trust at the forefront? Explore what stablecoins are, how new policies may shape their use, and what opportunities and risks credit unions should understand as the digital asset landscape matures. 

3:30pm - 3:45pm
Debrief  

3:45pm
Adjournment

Additional Info

Speakers

Jack Lefelar

Senior Associate | TruStage Ventures
 Jack is an Investor at TruStage Ventures, the venture capital arm of TruStage, a trusted credit union partner since 1935 providing financial products and services to more than 90% of U.S. credit unions. TruStage Ventures houses two funds: a general fund focused on strategic investments and partnerships to connect fintechs with credit unions, and the Discovery Fund, focused on early-stage investments in fintechs with traditionally underrepresented founding and leadership teams. Jack is also responsible for Corporate Development and M&A activity at TruStage. Prior to joining TruStage Ventures, Jack was an Investor at Fenway Summer, where he supported the firm’s investment processes, from due diligence and decision-making to supporting portfolio companies and innovative founders. Jack previously worked across financial services in a variety of roles, including analytics roles in mortgage lending and student loan refinancing, and as an Investment & Operations Analyst at Leavenworth Capital, a quantitative investment boutique managing portfolios of publicly traded digital assets. Jack holds a Master’s in Applied Economics from Georgetown University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wake Forest University.

Catie McDonald

Director Of Credit Union Relations | Trustage

Catie McDonald is a strategic leader and facilitator passionate about the credit union movement. She excels at asking the right questions, aligning stakeholders, and making strategy development both engaging and productive. Currently, she is the Director of CU Relations at TruStage. Her credit union career spans America's Credit Unions, an earlier tenure at TruStage, the National Credit Union Foundation, and serving on her local credit union board. Based on these experiences, she also spent several years consulting with FarWell Advisory Services and then with her own firm, McDonald Consulting, LLC.  

Beyond her professional work, Catie is based in Madison, Wisconsin, and is deeply involved in her community, having served on the Madison Board of Park Commissioners, Madison Parks Foundation, and in leadership positions within her neighborhood association. She has a strong track record of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and promoting financial well-being within credit unions and her community. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, traveling, hosting gatherings, watching sports (Roll Tide!), and spoiling her dog, Ozzie. 

Sarah Noll Wilson

CEO & Founder | Sarah Noll Wilson Group
Sarah Noll Wilson is an Executive Coach, in-demand Keynote Speaker, and bestselling author of Don’t Feed the Elephants! With over 15 years of experience in leadership development, she has worked with more than 500 organizations and thousands of leaders globally to transform workplace cultures, strengthen relationships, and build high-performing teams. A trusted voice in leadership, Sarah is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and her expertise has been featured on BBC Radio, in The Washington Post, Business Insider, and The New York Post. She also hosts Conversations on Conversations, a podcast with listeners from over 80 countries.  

Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership Development from Drake University and multiple professional certifications in coaching and communication frameworks. Believing that theory is great, but tools are better, she equips leaders with practical, evidence-based strategies to navigate challenges with clarity and confidence.  

When she isn’t empowering leaders to create thriving teams, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, enjoys playing games with her husband, Nick, baking focaccia bread, and cuddling with their fur baby, Sally.

Event Type

In-Person

Fees

Early Bird - $299 (ends July 20th)

Regular - $329

Location

TruStage Lighthouse
5910 Mineral Point Road, Madison