First West Credit Union Welcomes Darrell Jaggers as New Chief Information Officer

LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 28, 2014) - First West Credit Union today announced that Darrell Jaggers has been appointed as the credit union's new chief information officer. Formerly CIO at Island Savings, a Vancouver Island-based credit union that is currently in discussions to join First West subject to regulator consent and membership approval. Jaggers will be responsible for leading First West's strategic technology efforts and transformation plan.

Since joining Island Savings in 1989 as a computer programmer, Jaggers served in a number of different positions and was promoted to vice-president, information systems in 2003. In 2007, he was recognized among Vancouver Island's 'Top Forty Under Forty' in the financial services category. Notably, under his leadership, Island Savings implemented a number of different innovations including a mortgage-origination system that streamlined the process turnaround time from three days down to 45 minutes, saving the organization up to $1.7 million per year.

"We are so pleased to welcome Darrell to the First West team," says Launi Skinner, CEO of First West Credit Union. "He's a talented executive with 25 years of experience in the credit union industry - his expertise, fresh insight and natural leadership will greatly benefit our team. Darrell's ability to accelerate innovation in technology systems while keeping the member experience front-and-centre will also be a major asset to us as we continue to strengthen our focus on providing the best possible products and services to our members."

Jaggers' expertise and thought leadership will also be essential during the integration of Island Savings and First West. Skinner adds, "As we look toward welcoming Island Savings into the First West family, it's great to see the cross-collaboration that our teams are already engaging in. With Darrell at the helm, our IT team will continue to demonstrate our impressive strength in technology leadership and innovation not just within our organization, but also across the Canadian credit union system."

"The energy at First West is really contagious," says Jaggers. "It's impressive to see how in just four short years they've become recognized as a top performing credit union in B.C., not just in terms of financial performance but also member growth. I believe technology leadership is essential to attracting new members, including younger members, and I'm excited to be joining the First West team now to build on the strength of its technology innovation."

About First West Credit Union

First West Credit Union offers members the financial strength, comprehensive product selection and extended branch network of a large financial institution while maintaining local brand identities and a unique grassroots approach to service. Led by Launi Skinner, First West is British Columbia's third-largest credit union with $7.1 billion in assets under administration, more than 171,000 members and close to 1,300 employees. It operates 40 branches throughout the province under the Envision Financial, Valley First and Enderby & District Financial brands. For more information on First West Credit Union, visit www.firstwestcu.ca.

Follow First West Credit Union on Twitter: @firstwestcu