America First Credit Union has hired Jessica Graham as chief legal officer, a newly created position.
Graham joins from Global Credit Union, where she was chief risk officer and general counsel. At America First Credit Union, she will be responsible for legal, regulatory compliance and risk management matters while also guiding on strategic decisions and ongoing growth initiatives.
Ogden, Utah-based America First Credit Union is the US’s sixth largest credit union, with $24bn in assets and serves 1.5 million members.
Thayne Shaffer, president and CEO at America First Credit Union, said: “[Graham] brings incredible experience not just as a chief legal officer, but also in compliance, crisis management and mergers and acquisitions. Her expertise and leadership make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team.”
Graham spent more than eight years at Global Credit Union and Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, as it was previously known. Prior to that she had in-house spells at Koniag as GC, GCI as deputy GC, Afognak as GC and Alutiiq as GC.
She started out in private practice as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis before moving to Perkins Coie.
She said: “I have long admired America First Credit Union and its commitment to improving the lives of their members, employees and communities. I am excited to be part of such a dedicated and successful team.”
Earlier this month, California-based First Technology Federal Credit Union hired Steven Wright as its first CLO, joining from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston where he was GC and chief ethics officer.
In other recent US in-house banking and finance moves, back in February Goldman Sachs’ CLO Kathy Ruemmler said she would step down from the role amid scrutiny over her ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Back in January, the US Securities and Exchange Commission appointed former BlackRock lawyer Russell ‘Rusty’ McGranahan as GC, replacing acting GC Jeffrey Finnell who had been standing in following the departure of former GC Megan Barbero a year earlier. Finnell returned to his role as deputy GC.
Meanwhile in September last year, US mortgage giant Freddie Mac hired Matthew Abrusci as GC from Japanese bank MUFG where he was GC for the Americas.
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