Governance

Richard Adam is Northern’s third President and CEO.  Since joining Northern in 1996, Richard has served the credit union in various roles including Senior Internal Auditor, Chief Internal Auditor, Vice President Finance and Administration, and since 2010 as the Senior Vice President Finance and Administration.  Prior to joining Northern Credit Union, Mr. Adam worked for chartered accounting firms in both Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie.  Richard holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), is a CPA CA, and holds a Certified Chief Executive designation from the Credit Union Executive Society.

With over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry, from both the public accounting and credit union perspective, Richard’s wealth of knowledge has been instrumental to Northern’s growth.  Richard has demonstrated superior skills in the areas of strategic leadership, operational execution and stakeholder relations, and is a proven leader with a keen understanding of Northern’s needs.

During his tenure at Northern, he developed Northern’s internal audit and risk departments and frameworks, led numerous mergers aiding in the growth of Northern and since he became CEO, significantly improved the culture and employee engagement and Northern’s profitability. Richard has also served on several system committees including Chairing the Enterprise Risk Management Committee of the Regulator and sitting on the Act Review Committee and both the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee of the Regulator.

Tammy has been with Northern Credit Union for over 18 years. Starting as an Accounting Supervisor she quickly moved into more senior positions. As the Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Tammy is responsible for managing Northern’s finances and financial reporting. She is actively involved in working with the Executive Team to set and track financial goals, objectives, and budgets in order to help the organization achieve the strategic direction set by the Board.  She is also responsible for Risk Management overseeing both operational and enterprise risk. Prior to joining Northern, Tammy spent several years in financial leadership positions in retail in Southern Ontario. During this time, Tammy attained her Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA) designation.

Brandy Heikoop is Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Northern Credit Union. As head of Northern’s Human Resources department, Brandy is helping to accelerate Northern through leadership, attracting and developing the best talent and building a culture of engagement, agility, and innovation.

With over 35 years of experience within the financial service industry, Brandy is well versed in many of the key facets needed for running and providing employees with a healthy and prospering business environment.

Prior to her current role, Brandy was Director of Sales at Northern and held the roles with a national financial organization. Through these roles, she contributed to skill refinement, succession planning and performance management and has gained valuable knowledge in areas such as retention, hiring, employee relations, and change management.

Brandy holds a diploma from Queen’s University in Labour and Human Resources.

Abid came to Northern Credit Union in early 2021 with over 30 years of business, banking, and regulatory experience. He has worked in different industries in the US, UAE, and Canada, including fifteen years with a major Canadian bank. Prior to joining Northern, Abid spent three years as a regulator with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

He holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a BBA from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Abid has a passion for making deals and helping build communities. His talent and passion are a great fit with Northern Credit Union, where we believe in Making a Difference in People’s Lives.

With over 25 years of dedication to the Credit Union system, Liisa Woolley, Senior Vice President of Member Experience at Northern Credit Union, is a seasoned leader known for shaping member-centric strategies. Liisa has over 10 years in executive leadership positions and has been a driving force behind transformative initiatives, consistently elevating member satisfaction and loyalty.

Liisa is an inspiring leader who is passionate about cultivating high-performing teams and fostering a balanced approach to business. Liisa creates an environment where team members are motivated to excel and innovate. She recognizes the importance of maintaining an equilibrium between driving business growth and prioritizing employee well-being. Her commitment to developing high-performing teams and promoting a balanced approach to business underscores her dedication to driving sustainable success and fostering a positive organizational culture.

In her role as Senior Vice President of Member Experience, Liisa continues to champion member-centricity, overseeing all member facing delivery channels in addition to marketing and learning and development.  Liisa is a catalyst for positive change.

Liisa holds a Chartered Marketer Designation, an Executive Coaching Certificate, and has completed the Cardwell 306 CEO Certification. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor, complemented by various business management certificates aimed at effective and agile business practices. These credentials reflect Liisa's commitment to continuous learning and her dedication to driving excellence in all aspects of her leadership role.

Marry is a seasoned technology executive with over 15 years of experience driving digital transformation and delivering innovative IT solutions. Currently overseeing IT, IS, Product Management, PMO and Operations, Marry actively seeks to identify opportunities to leverage emerging trends to drive business value and streamline operations.

Prior to joining Northern, Marry held several leadership positions at leading organizations including JP Morgan Chase. As the Vice President of Implementation, Marry was responsible for overseeing the Project Management Office for the Canadian business, as well as through her various other roles she played a pivotal role in shaping the technology landscape and fostering a culture of innovation. She has a strong track record of building and managing high-performing teams, cultivating strategic partnerships, and aligning initiatives with the overall business strategy.

Marry holds a Master of Engineering at Carleton University, and is PMP (Project Management Professional), PM-LPC (Project Management-Lean Practitioner Certification), SSBBP (Six Sigma Black Belt Professional), and P.Eng (Professional Engineer) certified. She is a thought leader in the IT industry and frequently speaks at conferences, contributes to industry publications, and participates in technology forums.

Marry's visionary leadership, technical expertise, and passion for leveraging technology to drive business outcomes makes her an invaluable asset to Northern, where we are committed to improving the lives of our members by offering innovating banking solutions tailored to our member’s financial needs.