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Fusion Credit Union invests in the next generation of leaders

Last spring, Fusion Credit Union employees from all 18 branches across the province took to the streets for a friendly garbage pickup competition. While a team that called themselves the Garbage Gophers were technically named the champions, the real winners were the communities the credit union operates in.

The event, called Operation Tidy Together, was the brainchild of the Fusion Young Leaders Committee.

“The beautiful part was that people on our young leaders committee were the leaders of their teams, so they were organizing and cheerleading people and connecting staff across Fusion while impacting our community at the same time,” says Megan Nimegeers, a consumer lender at Fusion’s Dauphin branch and the outgoing chair of the committee. Employees can sit on the committee for two- or three-year terms.

The Fusion Young Leaders Committee, now in its fifth year, is open to staff members aged 40 and under who are interested in developing leadership skills and who meet the necessary criteria in their roles. The 15-person committee is meant to give young employees of the financial institution, located in southwestern Manitoba, opportunities to develop themselves as leaders and build relationships across Fusion and the broader credit union system.

“The young leaders program really helps employees contribute to the organization and engage in their own professional development,” says Fusion CEO Darwin Johns. “It provides staff the opportunity to develop new skills and gain the confidence to lead.”

In addition, Johns sees the work of the young leaders as aiding to “shape the future of the credit union,” and views their initiatives as a key piece of the culture at Fusion.

The members organize initiatives that align with the credit union’s mission, vision and values, as well as strategic goals, including community involvement and employee engagement. In the past few years, they have arranged monthly “virtual coffee breaks” for employees, which have included virtual pumpkin carving around Halloween and Christmas baking sessions. As of 2025, the committee will launch a new recognition program to acknowledge employees celebrating their one-, two-, three- and four-year anniversaries with Fusion.

“At Fusion, staff are recognized on their five- and 10-year anniversaries but it’s important to recognize staff earlier — that’s a valuable part of retention,” Nimegeers says. “We’re sending out a card and a coffee card on those anniversaries.”

“This is just one example of the innovative ideas our Young Leaders bring to the table,” explains Johns. “We value the benefit they bring to our employees, our organization and our members.”

Nimegeers joined Fusion three and a half years ago when she moved to Manitoba, after working in the credit union system in Saskatchewan. She says she was immediately drawn to participate in the Young Leaders Committee. In addition to feeling that the opportunity to do more “fills my cup,” she says it has helped her professional development.

“The Fusion Young Leaders Committee has pushed me out of my comfort zone in the most positive way possible. I’ve had the privilege of working with people across Fusion that I wouldn’t normally get to interact with day-to-day. It has brought comfort in my ability to present, to manage projects, to provide feedback — those are hard and kind of intimidating things,” she says. “It’s given me the skills to be successful.”

The fostering of young leaders at Fusion, says Johns, highlights its commitment to a supportive, inclusive and growth-oriented workplace.