Synergent’s mission is to “help credit unions succeed and improve the financial lives of their members.” In our monthly Employee Spotlight series, we feature one of our dedicated staff members to help you get to know the people who are working as an extension of your credit union team.
Chase Pierce
Chase Pierce is three years into his journey at Synergent and he has already worn several hats, each one deepening his understanding of how credit unions operate and how they prepare for what comes next. Recently promoted to Senior Consultant on the Core Conversions and Consulting team, Pierce partners directly with credit unions to help them think ahead, plan strategically, and stay resilient in an ever-changing environment. His work touches everything from business continuity planning to digital collaboration, always with a focus on helping credit unions operate with clarity and confidence.
There is no single blueprint for a typical day in Pierce’s role. He can be found working from many locations including in conference rooms, on video calls, or onsite at credit unions. Regardless of his location, he most often can be found guiding conversations that help shape the future direction of credit unions. The variety keeps the work both challenging and engaging.
“A typical day in my role varies quite a bit,” Pierce explained. “I spend my time meeting with credit unions both in person and virtually for business continuity, tactical, and strategic planning sessions. I also work with credit unions to implement efficiency consult recommendations. Quarterly, I facilitate a Synergent digital banking advisory group. During these meetings, credit unions on specific digital banking platforms get together to collaborate with their peers, with the goal of enhancing both the credit unions’ and members’ digital banking experience.”
A Consultative Approach: Balancing Technical Precision with Trust
Whether leading a planning session or facilitating peer collaboration, Pierce’s approach is grounded in listening first. He understands that every credit union operates with its own culture, priorities, and community needs. His role is not to hand over a prewritten plan, but to help guide meaningful discussions that result in actionable strategies. That consultative mindset developed quickly and, as a result, his role has significantly evolved and grown.
“My role has changed a lot since I started at Synergent,” Pierce reflected. “In the beginning, I was working on the team focused on core conversions and mergers and conducting teller efficiency consults. For conversions and mergers, I had a variety of tasks ranging from smaller items like configuring and testing solutions to larger tasks like leading database validations and audio response implementations. While working on teller efficiency consults, I evaluated how tellers were using the core and provided recommendations to help them work more efficiently.”
That early experience required both technical precision and people skills. Conversions are complex undertakings, often accompanied by tight timelines and high expectations. Efficiency consults, meanwhile, demand a careful balance of observation and constructive feedback. Pierce learned quickly how important it is to build trust with frontline staff and leadership alike.
Roots in the Movement: A Legacy of Service and Collaboration
Pierce’s introduction to the credit union industry came before Synergent, during an internship early in his career. Even at that stage, something about the credit union movement resonated with him.
“I completed a summer internship with a credit union where I learned a lot about its operations and how staff work behind the scenes to keep it operating smoothly day to day,” Pierce recalled. “My father also worked in the credit union industry and advised me of how tightly knit the credit union community is and the positive impact it has on local communities. Out of college, I was just trying to get my foot in the door and gain experience. Because Synergent works closely with credit unions, it felt like a natural place to apply. The Core Conversions and Consulting team ended up being a great fit due to our team-focused approach. I quickly gained respect for my colleagues because of their commitment to providing superior service.”
That team-focused approach remains central to his work today. Planning sessions are not about one person presenting solutions. They are about bringing stakeholders together, clarifying priorities, and mapping out next steps in a way that feels realistic and achievable.
Creating Impact Through Planning and Innovation
Pierce sees the tangible impact of that work when credit unions are prepared for challenges they hope will never come.
“We all hope disasters never happen, but it’s vital for credit unions to be prepared if they do,” Pierce noted. “Business continuity planning is vital to ensure if credit unions are negatively impacted, they can safely continue providing financial services to their members. Strategic planning assists credit unions develop actionable, strategic plans that not only strengthen financial performance but also drive meaningful membership growth. Credit union staff wear multiple hats, and tactical planning assists credit unions by building a roadmap, defining allocation of resources, and setting timelines to help credit unions execute their strategic plans.”
Behind every planning session is a simple but powerful motivation. Even though Pierce doesn’t interact directly with members, he knows his work plays a part in supporting them.
“My favorite part of my job is being a part of the ‘People Helping People’ movement,” Pierce shared. “Although I don’t work with members directly, I am grateful to work for a company whose main goal is to help credit unions succeed and improve the financial lives of their members.”
That sense of purpose also fueled one of the projects he is most proud of: the development of a tool to help automate data maintenance. What began as a manual, time-intensive process for credit unions became an opportunity to lift a significant operational burden.
“A project that I am proud of completing is the Toolbox of Utilities for Synergent’s Data Cleanup consults,” Pierce explained. “Prior to its rollout, most items discovered in the data cleanup were up to the credit union to manually address themselves. The Toolbox of Utilities takes that burden off the credit union. Now, most items discovered during data cleanup can be completed by Synergent running a utility to update the records automatically.”
By transforming a manual process into a streamlined, automated solution, Pierce and his colleagues freed up valuable time for credit union staff. That is the kind of impact he finds most meaningful. It is not always visible from the outside, but it makes day-to-day operations smoother and more efficient.
As his responsibilities have expanded, Pierce has grown alongside the evolving needs of the credit unions he serves. Each planning session, each conversion, and each collaborative advisory meeting has added to his understanding of what it takes to balance strategy with practicality. He has seen how thoughtful preparation can steady an organization during uncertain moments and how a clear roadmap can energize a team around shared goals.
Beyond the Roadmap: Preparation, Confidence, and Life Outdoors
When he steps away from the planning tables and project timelines, Pierce enjoys activities that keep him active and close to the outdoors.
“Outside of work, I enjoy skiing, fishing, playing pick-up sports, and spending time by the water,” Pierce shared. “Whether it’s a beach day, lake day, or floating down the river.”
That appreciation for movement and fresh air mirrors the steady, forward-looking mindset he brings to his role. Planning for the unexpected and mapping out the next phase of growth are part of helping teams feel ready rather than reactive.
In every conversation he facilitates, Pierce is guided by a belief that preparation creates confidence. And when credit unions feel confident in their plans, they are better positioned to serve the communities that rely on them every day.
