Unitus Community Credit Union (Unitus), based in Tigard, Oregon, is known for delivering exceptional member experiences grounded in community values. But they’re also charting a digital path forward—one that blends innovation with inclusion and inspiring service.
When Unitus engaged with Alkami’s Retail Digital Sales & Service Maturity Model, AVP of Digital Banking Services, Heather Bianchini, and VP of Member Experience and Product Management, Char Sears, knew it was more than just a benchmarking experience—it was a chance to bring the entire organization into digital alignment.
Rather than completing the assessment in a silo, Unitus brought together cross-functional leaders to collaborate as a team. That collaborative approach led to more than insights—it led to organizational buy-in.
“We went through the assessment as a team and we ensured that we were all in alignment and agreed on the answers,” said Heather.
Their digital assessment revealed that Unitus was Innovation-Ready, setting the stage to act on opportunities that could amplify their impact.
Innovation-Ready –
Financial institutions in this stage are positioned to accelerate their growth by activating data insights across the organization, reimagining the account opening experience, and empowering employees with their future-oriented mindset.
Guided by their three strategic pillars—innovation, inclusion, and inspiring service—Char and Heather used the findings to inform new initiatives. From improving data-driven communication to digitizing branch-dependent experiences, the team prioritized actions with the greatest member impact.
The Retail Digital Sales & Service Maturity Model didn’t just offer a scorecard, it gave Unitus an objective roadmap forward.
“Ultimately, we hope to continue to work towards that next level of digital maturity,” said Heather. “We want to leverage that collective IQ. We want to bring folks along. We know that we can’t accomplish things that we want to accomplish in a silo. We need all of our internal partners to help us get there, because not everything is just in the digital channel.”
And with buy-in from their leadership, Unitus is already seeing traction. As Char noted, it’s about finding the right, “balance of growth, mitigating risk, and the experience.”
By investing in clarity, collaboration, and digital, Unitus is doing more than modernizing. They’re leading a values-driven transformation that elevates every member touchpoint.
