As Strategic Advisor, Schenk will provide expert guidance on research priorities, strengthen alignment with organizational goals, and enhance Filene’s ability to serve credit unions.
Madison, Wis. – Filene Research Institute, a leading innovator in the credit union industry, is proud to announce the appointment of Mike Schenk as Strategic Advisor, effective September 1, 2025. In this role, Schenk will support Filene by providing strategic direction to research projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and conducting thorough reviews of content for coherence and relevan
ce to credit unions.
Schenk brings more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, with deep expertise in economic analysis, credit union operations, and cooperative finance. He recently retired from his role as Chief Economist for America’s Credit Unions, where for more than three decades he led economic research, informed public relations and advocacy strategies, and regularly contributed insights to national and industry media.
“We are excited to welcome Mike as Strategic Advisor. His decades of experience, leadership in economic analysis, and extensive understanding of credit union financial performance will significantly strengthen our work and the impact we deliver to our Filene members,” said Christie Kimbell, Executive Vice President at Filene.
A long-time supporter of Filene’s mission, Schenk previously served on the Filene Research Institute Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Summit Credit Union in Madison, Wisconsin – a $6.2 billion financial cooperative with more than 240,000 members – where he has held leadership roles including Board Chair and Chair of the Asset-Liability Management and Risk Management/Internal Audit Committees.
“Filene has long been a source of leading insight and innovation for the credit union movement,” said Schenk. “I’m honored to return in this advisory capacity to help shape research that advances cooperative finance and strengthens the ability of credit unions to improve their members’ financial well-being.”
Visit the “Meet our People!” page to learn more the entire Filene team including staff, contributors, fellows, and the administrative board.
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About Filene: Filene Research Institute strengthens organizations through innovative research and incubation to improve consumer financial well-being. As an independent cooperative finance think tank, Filene’s membership network connects a community of leaders and bright minds to change lives through innovation, truth and cooperation. In addition to delivering cutting-edge, actionable academic research, Filene also provides incubators to test and scale solutions, events to spark organizations into action and advisory services to help accelerate and implement innovation. For more information, visit filene.org and @fileneresearch.
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