Celeste Cook

About Celeste Cook

Celeste Cook is Founder and President/CEO of cuStrategies, LLC. As a consultant to the credit union industry, Celeste partners with credit unions as a Strategic Planning Facilitator, lending consultant and trainer, culture transformation strategist, and Executive Leadership Coach. She also provides sales and service and business development training. Celeste has served in the credit union industry for 20+ years and has been helping credit unions across the nation increase loan growth, profitability, and membership growth/retention for almost 10 years. Several of her clients have experienced success in all areas using her training programs and PROVEN strategies. Celeste is also a national keynote and motivational speaker in addition to a consultant and trainer. Her dynamic and engaging speaking style have also made her a popular and sought out speaker in the credit union industry. Celeste facilitates Board/Management strategic planning sessions with a focus on visionary leadership, branding, and execution of strategic planning for growth, profitability, and retention. She also provides consulting and training programs/schools in lending, business development, and sales and service helping them create a culture for growth.Celeste has a degree in business management and a Certification in Sales Leadership Strategies through CUNA. She has been a contributor to industry publications such as CUinsight, Credit Union Executive Society, Credit Union Times, and Credit Union Journal. Celeste is also writing a book on leadership and service.Specialties: As a speaker, consultant, and trainer, Celeste brings you her experience, proven strategies, passion, and positive energy! Her expertise includes strategic planning, lending, business development, sales and service, and leadership (visionary/coaching/team building/change management) with a focus on growth and profitability. Her holistic approach to loan growth, profitability, and retention has been PROVEN to work!

Experience

1. President CEO

   Custrategies, Llc

   Aug 2010 — Present

   Celeste is a credit union industry expert and strategist, consultant, speaker, and trainer. She partners with credit unions across the nation to help them increase loan growth, profitability, and membership retention transforming their credit union into a culture for growth. Many of her clients have experienced positive loan growth and profitability in addition to greater employee and member engagement as a result of her consulting services, training programs, and strategies. Celeste provides strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership development, lending training programs, sales and service training, collection training, and a business development/community engagement training program as well as a robust sales and service culture transformation program. She also provides consulting services for organizational development and performance compensation structure as well as assessment of the culture, lending, member service, policies, processes, and procedures. Celeste is also a keynote and motivational speaker. She has worked in the credit union industry for 20+ years and has been a professional speaker and trainer for more than 15 years. Celeste is President/CEO of cuStrategies, LLC, which provides consulting services and training programs to the credit union industry. She previously worked for a $1.6 billion credit union in Atlanta, Georgia, and worked as a consultant and trainer with Rex Johnson of Lending Solutions Consulting. Celeste conducts training programs/schools in lending, business development, leadership (coaching, team building, and change management), and sales and service. She brings to you her credit union expertise, experience, and proven strategies as well as her passion and dynamic speaking style that is engaging and filled with positive energy!

Education

• Huntingdon College

  Bachelor’s Degree - Magna cum laude

  1997 — 2005

Skills

• Business Development
• Strategy
• Loan Origination
• Portfolio Management
• Loans
• Financial Services
• Strategies
• Retail Banking
• Analysis
• Coaching
• Credit
• Executive Management
• Credit Unions
• Underwriting
• Strategic Planning
• Budgets
• Training
• New Business Development
• Commercial Lending
• Banking
• Risk Management
• Sales Management
• Credit Risk
• Management
• Team Building
• Credit Analysis
• Sales
• Credit Cards
• Consumer Lending
• Financial Institutions
• Financial Analysis
• Change Management
• Leadership