Career Management During Change: From CRO to COO

The only constant is change. 

In credit unions (and honestly, in most organizations), the business needs don’t pause while we get comfortable. Priorities shift. People shift. And sometimes your role shifts right along with it, whether you planned for it or not. That’s where career management during change stops being a concept and starts being a lived experience.

I’ve always been passionate about risk and resilience. I spent years working my way up to Chief Risk Officer. So when I stepped into a COO role, now overseeing the retail side, including branches, the contact center, and branch operations, it came with both excitement and a surprising amount of emotional whiplash.

The weird part no one talks about: identity

I’ll be honest: changing my email signature was a sad moment. I still haven’t updated my LinkedIn profile. That might sound silly, but if you’ve ever worked hard for a title you’re proud of, you know it’s not just a line in a signature. It’s a symbol of the path you’ve been on.

At the same time, I also know this: business needs change, and roles change with them. This is the heart of career management during change: learning how to stay grounded in who you are, even when the label on the door changes.

What I’m excited about (Pros)

Balancing COO responsibilities with a risk background has already been interesting, and I keep coming back to a few advantages:

• I know how to express risk and quantify impact. That matters when I’m presenting strategies, requesting budget, and standing by decisions. Risk managers are trained to improve decision-making, so yes, I’ve joked that I’m a two-for-one deal now.

• I don’t need to sell operations on the value of continuity and vendor risk management. I still oversee those areas, and I’ve seen enough to know those conversations are easier when you don’t have to start from zero.

• I still have compliance in my area. Which gives me more influence to help ensure we stay compliant. Not in a “gotcha” way, but in a “let’s not create future problems for ourselves” way.

• My platform just got bigger. That’s a genuine opportunity to make an impact, and to embed risk-thinking into everyday decisions instead of treating it as a separate function.

This is one of the reasons I’m a believer in strong risk management practices: they help leaders make fast decisions without flying blind.

What makes me nervous (Cons)

Now for the part where I stop pretending I’m not human.

• I’m about to get busier than a beehive during summer.

• The shift from second line to risk owner is real. No more presenting residual risk and passing the decision-making baton. I’m the decision-maker now, and I’ll be accountable.

• Did I mention I’m going to be incredibly busy? (Worth repeating.)

• It’s been a decade since I was in the retail space. There’s catching up to do, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that pressure.

• Not having a centralized risk function could be challenging. But I’m choosing to see it as an opportunity to foster collaboration and break down silos.

This is also the part of career management during change that nobody puts in a celebratory announcement: the learning curve is real, and the accountability hits differently when it’s your name on the decision.

My perspective on career management during change

Even with the nerves and the busy-ness, I’m looking at this as a remarkable opportunity. I get to showcase operational strengths, and I get to continue cultivating a culture where people ask questions, evaluate risks, and seize opportunities thoughtfully.

And maybe that’s the bigger lesson I’m taking from this transition: career management during change isn’t about clinging to a title. It’s about staying useful, staying curious, and staying willing to grow when the business asks something new of you.

Glass half full it is!