It is this unique lens with which Streelman hopes to take REV forward .
“ Traditionally , credit unions have been slow to adopt new technologies or have been behind the curve in some ways ,” Streelman notes . “ But I ’ ve come from SaaS companies where I got to understand how the cloud works and how virtualisation works .
“ I understand how those technologies can be leveraged to drive significant innovation and adoption within the credit union space .
“ If you look at where we are today , with the AI boom and burgeoning fintech ecosystems , those areas play well in a credit union environment . That ’ s what we ’ re starting to take note of and act upon now .”
REV : From military beginnings to technologically ambitious As noted by Streelman , REV is on course to expand its technological reach , as one of South Carolina ’ s leading credit unions .
But , if you had asked the founders of REV if this would be where the credit union is today , they would scarcely believe it .
Founded in the city of Charleston in 1955 , REV was conceived as a credit union for the Charleston Air Force base to serve the financial needs of US armed servicemen .
“ The credit union has now expanded its field of membership and made it easier for anybody to join ,” says Streelman . “ There are no requirements to join REV now , you can join from pretty much anywhere . We ’ ve also expanded into North Carolina too , and have 15 branches . fintechmagazine . com 135