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Otto Penner

Otto Penner

As a former area manager at General Motors, I gained the knowledge of working with groups of people from varied backgrounds and experiences and practiced an inclusive leadership style. This experience helped me understand Board dynamics and I believe I bring strong people and leadership skills to the Credit Union. I have a keen interest in financial matters and have a working knowledge of establishing and managing budgets. I also have working knowledge and understanding of ISO & ERM processes, due to my work experience related to Quality Risk Management and an understanding of ERM as related to the Credit Union.

I believe in the co-operative philosophy of people helping people. The Credit Union requires knowledgeable, strong Directors to be leaders into the future. Boards have a legal and moral obligation to maintain Director Accountability with a high standards and ethics. My recent focus has been on Seniors’ issues in Niagara, and I have found that more needs to be done. I bring an in-depth senior point of view to the Board since seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population of Niagara and Hamilton regions.

Otto's work experience includes:

  • General Motors St. Catharines management for 42 years

Otto’s Board and Committee experience includes:

  • Credit Union member since 1963 and a Director since 1981, serving on every Board committee, including the Audit and Enterprise Risk Management Committee, and have been Chair and Vice Chair numerous times
  • As member of the Governance Committee, I participated in achieving significant Board Governance reform resulting in the governance model presently in existence at the Credit Union
  • Chair of the Niagara Falls Senior Advisory Committee and on the Board of the Age Friendly Niagara Council as Vice Chair