After high school, Ryan Holbrook said he was interested in a career as a HVAC technician. But in the Midwest, he soon realized, HVAC work included “tight spaces, freezing or sweating,” so he said he “pumped the breaks” on that plan and entered into car sales at the McGrath car dealership. He worked a lot with the banking side of things and after a time took a position at Marine Credit Union (MCU) as a consumer loan officer.
While at McGrath, Ryan explained, he started mentoring others early on. “I had a decent click with mentoring,” he shared during his Heart of MCU interview. Eventually, he was asked to train and retrain staff and soon became a finance manager. When they learned about the coming birth of their first child, Ryan said he knew he needed a better work-life balance, so he applied at MCU. “I wanted to see what MCU had to offer. I’m happy with it and I haven’t looked back,” he shared.
“MCU walks the walk,” Ryan continued. “There are always places that talk about members and employee appreciation and don’t do anything.” At MCU, Ryan said, “it’s different.”
“Other places, they sell it to them,” he said. “MCU,” he added, encourages employees and “spends a lot of time trying to help people and teach them financial literacy. The CEO says, ‘Ask me whatever questions you want.’ Other places … not as much.” At MCU, he said, “they have it right.”
“On our intranet page, it says, ‘Submit an Idea.’ It shows MCU is genuine and shows they care,” Ryan continued. MCU, he said is “authentic” and input is “encouraged. I like that.”
Ryan talked about working remote at MCU. “I absolutely love it,” he shared. “I love they are saying we can stay remote. They aren’t forcing it either way. Once again, showing they care for their employees.”
Ryan also said he appreciates opportunities at MCU including job shadowing in other departments and being asked questions such as “What do you want to do and where do you see yourself going?” The leadership, Ryan explained, “takes time out of their day to learn what others are doing. “Right out of the gate,” he said, “they set you up with a mentor.”
“It’s really cool that they don’t confine you to a box. You can leave the loan side if it fits. Even people from my team,” he continued, “have moved to processing. They let you figure out what you want.”
And working with members with less than perfect credit, Ryan gets to know them personally as well. “You see a lot of people who are upset with themselves. You talk them through it, letting them know you are there for them. It makes it a lot easier for them. You let people know you are on their side.”
Ryan said it feels good when he is able to “help someone save money, lower their interest rate and get their finances straightened out. My job,” he continued, “is to help (members) understand and know and make things better. It is to help with financial literacy on any front.”
“I can’t think of anything bad about working here,” Ryan continued. He said he shares the same goal as MCU, “trying to do the best for our members and help them out as much as we can – especially when it comes to financial literacy.” Ryan said the payoff for him is “watching members you’ve helped grow turn their life around and fight their way out of financial hardship.”
His number one goal in his personal life with his wife Bre, 10-month-old son Kellen, mini Australian Shepard Ferg and “a zoo of cats” that they have saved, is much the same … “Making sure everyone is happy and healthy.”
“Bre is an animal lover. She will take in any animal,” Ryan added. “Obviously, I will too,” he added with a laugh.
