Nickolas Kitchens

About Nickolas Kitchens

Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and financial services executive with leadership experience spanning retail banking, digital experience, contact center operations, product strategy, marketing, mortgage, private banking, and indirect lending sales within a member-owned financial institution.Currently responsible for enterprise-wide member and employee experience, overseeing retail branches, contact center performance, digital channels, product lifecycle management, service design, and growth initiatives. Known for leading organizational transformation, improving operational efficiency, and modernizing delivery channels while maintaining safety and soundness.Former General Counsel and senior legal executive with deep experience in regulatory compliance, risk management, governance, contracts, employment law, and executive advisory. This background informs a disciplined, risk-aware leadership style grounded in collaboration, accountability, and execution.Core strengths include experience strategy, retail banking operations, digital transformation, contact center leadership, product management, change management, executive leadership, cross-functional alignment, and culture building.

Experience

1. Chief Experience Officer

   Georgia's Own Credit Union

   Mar 2025 — Present

   Enterprise executive responsible for end-to-end member and employee experience across retail banking, branch operations, contact center, digital channels, mortgage, private banking, indirect lending sales, marketing, product, and member advocacy.Owns experience strategy, service delivery, and growth execution, with accountability for sales performance, loan and deposit growth, member satisfaction, Net Promoter Score, and operational efficiency. Leads enterprise initiatives focused on omnichannel delivery, journey design, service recovery, and channel optimization while maintaining regulatory compliance and safety and soundness.Key focus areas include retail transformation, contact center performance, product lifecycle management, digital experience modernization, operational excellence, and organizational change. Partners closely with executive leadership and the Board to align experience strategy with financial performance and long-term sustainability.Key Focus Areas• Retail and branch experience• Member journeys and service recovery• Contact center stabilization and performance• Product strategy and lifecycle ownership• Digital experience and payments modernization• Culture, leadership, and change execution

Education

• University of Georgia - Terry College of Business

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

  2017 — 2019

• Atlanta's John Marshall Law School

  Juris Doctorate, Labor and Employment

  2011 — 2014

• Valdosta State University

  B.S., Chemistry

  2001 — 2007

Skills

• Permanent Placement
• Onboarding
• Recruitment/Retention
• Talent Management
• Sales Recruitment
• HR Strategy
• Personnel Management
• Internet Recruiting
• Technical Recruiting
• Consulting
• College Recruiting
• Management
• Applicant Tracking Systems
• Talent Assessment
• Interviews
• Employer Branding
• Resume Writing
• Employee Benefits
• Project Delivery
• Cold Calling
• Screening
• Hiring
• Deferred Compensation
• Sourcing
• Performance Management
• Crm
• Project Execution
• Strategic Sourcing
• Sdlc
• Benefits Negotiation
• Talent Acquisition
• Negotiation
• Leadership
• Contract Recruitment
• Talent Selection
• Employee Relations
• Hris
• HR Policies
• HR Consulting
• Recruiting