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About Kindred
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Why Kindred?
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About Us
We care about the community, the environment, and you.
Our purpose
Cooperative banking that connects values and faith with finances, inspiring peaceful, just, and prosperous communities.
Our values
Integrity, compassion, and stewardship are woven into everything we do. It’s how we treat each other as staff, members, and in community.
Our promise
We bring our Purpose to life in the communities we serve by committing to tangible impacts in the areas of financial empowerment, safe and affordable housing, community food security, and more.
Our Roots
Kindred has been in the making for over 50 years and it all began when a group of Mennonites had a radical vision to see mutual aid put into faithful practice—extending access to financial services across our community. On March 21, 1964, twenty-two Waterloo County Mennonites got together and deposited $22 in a cash box with the idea of creating a credit union to serve members of their faith community. This group of Mennonites was actively looking for ways to live out their faith in the modern world. Their desire was to apply their Anabaptist beliefs to the practical ways they carried out business in the broader society. And that is how Waterloo County Mennonite Credit Union was born, eventually becoming Mennonite Savings and Credit Union.
We recognized that our shared values were not limited to our faith communities, so in 2016 we became Kindred Credit Union. Today we welcome all Ontarians who seek values-based banking to share in our common purpose. We continue to live out our commitment to mutual aid through the products we offer, the services we provide, and our connections to partners who share our values and work to impact the world in amazing ways.
As a successful financial cooperative, Kindred has created a community of thousands of members across Ontario! The relationships we hold in partnership with our members allow us to move beyond financial transactions to meaningful engagement with our financial services peers, faith groups, and community partners on a range of interconnected themes that affect us all. Find out more about how we’re Engaging our Community.
Kindred is a Certified B Corporation
B Corps are a new type of company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. We’re committed to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
Part of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values
Kindred is pleased to be part of this global movement that’s committed to advancing positive change in the banking sector, using finance to deliver sustainable economic, social, and environmental development.
And, we’re a Living Wage Champion
Paying a living wage aligns with our values and it’s a critical investment in our collective prosperity. We believe our members would expect nothing less of us in caring for our staff members and advocating for change.
We are currently seeking candidates to fill upcoming vacancies on the Kindred Board of Directors and Council of Members. If you’re interested in serving, take a look through our info packages for more information:
Serving as a Board Member | Serving as a Council of Members Representative
To apply, please email Tithi Thakkar, Corporate Secretary.
Leadership and Governance
Kindred’s leadership consists of three groups: the Board of Directors, a Senior Leadership Team, and the Council of Members. These teams work closely together to ensure the continuing success and sound governance of the credit union. The Board of Directors establishes Kindred’s strategic direction, monitors the overall strength and financial performance of the organization, as well as the satisfaction of members, and ensures that Kindred continues to be an engaging employer. Representing the best interests of the members, the Board works closely with the Senior Leadership Team and holds the organization accountable for its success. Guided by Kindred’s purpose, the Board applies prudent financial practices and business standards to fulfill its responsibilities to members.
The Council of Members is a committee of sixteen member volunteers with representation from all eight Kindred branches. Each year the Council seeks volunteers for governance roles on the Board of Directors and ensures the Council of Members has a full complement. This approach to discerning qualified candidates has resulted in diverse and competent boards for Kindred, who have served the membership well and been excellent guardians of our values. Appointments to the Council of Members are presented to the Membership at the Annual General Meeting.
Meet the Board of Directors
Carolyn Albrecht
Governance Committee
Gerry Frey
Finance and Loan Committee Chair
Gloria Martin
Finance and Loan Committee
Greg Brimblecombe
Audit and Risk Committee
Henry Paetkau
Board Vice-Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
James Schenk
Audit and Risk Committee
Kaylie Tiessen
Audit and Risk Committee
Rick Martin
Governance Committee
Rosemary McCrie
Finance and Loan Committee
Susan Taves
Board Chair, Governance Committee
Tim Wagler
Audit and Risk Committee
Wanda Wagler-Martin
Finance and Loan Committee
Meet the Senior Leadership Team
Ian Thomas, MBA, ICD.D
Chief Executive Officer
Nolan Andres, BSc, MMath
Chief, Technology and Innovation
Max Bentz, BA
Vice-President, Member Relationships
John Klassen, BSc, CPA, CMA
Chief, Finance and Compliance
Nick Savva, BSc, ACIB
Vice-President, Credit Strategy and Underwriting
Rebecca Smith, BA, CHRL
Vice-President, Culture and Wellness
Stephanie Szusz, BBA, BEd
Vice-President, Agricultural and Commercial Banking
Council of Members by Branch
Aylmer
Frank Voth, John Stoltzfus
Elmira
Dennis Frey, Erla Bauman
Kitchener
Dan Driedger (chair), Brent Charette
Leamington
Vic Winter, (one vacancy)
Milverton
Connie Jantzi, (one vacancy)
Mount Forest
Miles Wiederkehr (vice-chair), (one vacancy)
New Hamburg
Dawna Whitehead, Norm Size
Waterloo
Kevin Dwarte, Alfred Hecht (vice-chair)
Annual Reports and Financial Statements
While annual reports may not be everyone’s cup of tea, an important aspect of being a co-operative is transparency. So feel free to explore our annual reports and even our detailed financial statements—they’re here to help you understand how your credit union works and to learn more about our financial health.
2021 Annual Report | 2020 Annual Report | 2019 Annual Report
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© 2023 Kindred Credit Union. All rights reserved. Inspiring peaceful, just, and prosperous communities