Maine Credit Union League promotes CFO to interim leader

Photos / Jim Neuger and Courtesy / Maine Credit Union League Todd Mason, left, stepped down as president and CEO of the Maine Credit Union League, and is working closely with the group’s interim leader, Cris Wescott.

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By Renee Cordes

After more than six years at the helm of the Maine Credit Union League and its technology affiliate Synergent, Todd Mason is leaving Maine to return to his home state of Michigan.

Cris Wescott, previously chief financial officer of both organizations, has been promoted interim president and CEO until two successors are named in accordance with a plan to split the leadership role in two.

“I appreciate the board’s trust in me to lead the league and Synergent into a new chapter,” said Wescott, an alumna of Husson University in Bangor. "Todd is leaving us in a solid spot, and I cannot thank him enough for all that he has done throughout his six years with our organizations.”

The Maine Credit Union League, headquartered in Westbrook, is a nonprofit, professional trade association with roots going back to 1938. Synergent, founded by credit unions in 1971, is a managed services provider that offers core processing, along with in-demand payments, technology and marketing services.

Mason succeeded John Murphy as president and CEO of the Maine Credit Union League and Synergent in April 2017, returning to an industry Mason fell into after college and then fell in love with. Before coming to Maine, Mason was chief strategy officer at RouteOne, a web-based credit application management system for car dealers.

Transition plan

Before Mason’s departure later this summer, Wescott will work closely with him and the management team to ensure a smooth leadership transition, according to Friday’s announcement.

"Our board is in full agreement that both organizations are in a very strong position financially and with respect to its leadership,” said David Desjardins, who chairs the boards of both organizations “We have no doubts that Cris will build on Todd’s success and work alongside a tremendously talented leadership team to navigate a new path forward for the League and Synergent’s members and customers.”

A national executive search is set to commence in the next 30 to 60 days to find permanent leaders to oversee the Maine Credit Union League and Synergent. The board aims to make a hiring decision for each position by the end of the year or in early 2024.

Other members of the Maine Credit Union League and Synergent senior leadership team include Chief Information Officer Tyler Hudson and Chief Relationship Officer Scott Johnsen.