Massey Henry is pleased to once again support Kindred Credit Union (“Kindred”) — this time in the recruitment for a Chief People and Culture Officer (“CPCO”).
About Kindred Credit Union
Kindred Credit Union (“Kindred”) is a member-owned financial cooperative based in Southwestern Ontario. Kindred’s values-centred approach is woven into everything the organization does, making it the one-of-a-kind choice for those who want to “Make Peace with Your Money” – peace of mind and the impact of using money as a force for good.
Kindred offers a complete range of banking, borrowing, and investing products and services through eight branches and online. Members benefit from access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs through THE EXCHANGE® Network in Canada and the Allpoint Network in the US.
Kindred was founded in 1964 and is rooted in the founders’ radical vision to see mutual aid put into faithful practice. Its core values of integrity, compassion, and stewardship continue to shape the organization today.
Kindred Today
From modest beginnings, Kindred has grown to $2.6B in assets under administration and provides everyday banking services to over 30,000 members. As of December 31, 2025, Kindred is the 10th largest credit union in Ontario and the 32nd largest in Canada. As the marketplace has changed, Kindred has adapted and continues to adapt, with their foundation and values remaining strong.
Kindred approaches banking with a forward-thinking mentality, proactively investing in the future to ensure the organization is prepared to serve its growing membership and impact its growing communities.
Kindred’s Purpose
Kindred’s Purpose is cooperative banking that connects values and faith with finances, inspiring peaceful, just, and prosperous communities.
Shared Values
Kindred operates in accordance with a strong set of shared values that are key to what makes it a values-centered financial institution, namely:
- Integrity means we strive to align our words and actions with our values at all times. We hold ourselves accountable to keep promises and follow through on commitments. When a mistake happens, we make it right. We strive to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons.
- Compassion guides how we relate to each other and our communities, when it’s easy and when it’s not. We start with empathy, grace, and a deep appreciation for the equal value of each person, while also encouraging each other’s growth. Our mutual wellbeing depends on caring for one another in community where everyone is welcome.
- Stewardship acknowledges that all we have has been entrusted to us and we are called to be wise with the money, time, and other resources in our care. We will be a trustworthy expert our members can rely on to do what’s in their best interest and that of our credit union.
Seven Cooperative Principles
As a credit union, Kindred shares the seven cooperative principles that have been in place for more than 100 years, including:
- Voluntary and Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy and Independence
- Education, Training, and Information
- Cooperation Among Cooperatives
- Concern for Community
Please visit the International Cooperative Alliance website for more information about the Seven Cooperative Principles.
Products and Services
Kindred offers a range of financial services to interested members seeking an alternative to traditional banking institutions. Leveraging unparalleled member experience, Kindred offers the opportunity to engage in values-centered banking, and the ability to become both a member and an owner, offering its members a full suite of banking products and services, including:
- Everyday banking – personal and business
- Loans and mortgages
- Wealth, investments and insurance
- Planning and advice
Values Products
Building on a foundation of mutual aid, Kindred offers a suite of unique values products designed to enable members to support each other and to extend access to financial services across the community, including:
- Affordable Housing GIC and Loan – Canada’s first for members to support loans for affordable housing.
- Community Inspiration GIC – for members to earn bonus interest for a church or charity of their choice.
- No/low fee accounts – for charitable and community organizations, refugees, recipients of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), or Ontario Works.
- HomeShare Mortgage – for two or more members to pool resources together to buy a home.
- Escalator Loan – for members who struggle with access to traditional credit options.
- Creation Care Loan – for members to purchase environmentally sustainable home upgrades.
- Crisis Care GIC and Loan – for members to support other members in financial hardship or distress.
- Partnership GIC and Loan – for member to designate funds as a loan for another member or charitable organization.
Additionally, in 2016, Kindred became the first financial institution in Canada to have all their GICs validated as Socially Responsible Investments (SRI), and the credit union continues to implement a rigorous review process to ensure their members’ money is invested in ways that fit their values to build a more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable world.
Governance Structure
Kindred’s leadership consists of three groups: the Board of Directors, the Senior Leadership Team, and the Council of Members. These teams work closely together to ensure the continuing success and sound governance of the credit union.
- The Board of Directors establishes Kindred’s strategic direction, monitors the overall strength and financial performance of the organization, assesses the satisfaction of members, and ensures the credit union continues to be an engaging employer.
- The Senior Leadership Team provides strategic oversight and direction, developing and managing strategies necessary to attain the credit union’s goals and objectives.
- The Council of Members works closely with the Governance Committee of the Board, ensuring integrity in the recruitment of Directors to serve on the Board on behalf of the Membership.
Community Engagement
Kindred’s purpose is lived out through its members and in community with the congregations and charitable organizations that they support financially and volunteer with. Kindred strives to make a positive impact in the communities they serve by supporting tangible impacts, including monetary contributions, programs, and events, in two key focus areas:
- Housing Stability: Building partnerships to advance the availability and stability of safe and affordable housing.
- Food Security: Engaging with different partners to improve access to healthy food and contribute to the development of a sustainable food system.
Kindred gave more than $750,000 in charitable giving on behalf of its members in 2025.
The Kindred Charitable Fund Committee approved more than $160,000 in grants for 2025, and more than $1.6 million since 1999. More than 200 groups have benefited from these grants, which have impacted people and communities across Ontario.
Additional Information
Please visit the Kindred website for more information about their purpose and operations, including the current Board of Directors, Senior Leadership Team, and the Council of Members. These three teams work closely together to ensure the continuing success and sound governance of the credit union.
To learn more about Kindred, we also encourage candidates to review their 2024 Annual Report.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and serving as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (“SLT”), the Chief People and Culture Officer (“CPCO”) provides strategic leadership and oversight of Kindred’s Human Resources (HR) and Organizational Development (OD).
The CPCO ensures that corporate strategy elevates organizational culture and core values, while aligning people-centric initiatives with strategic goals. The CPCO guides cross-functional collaboration with other senior leaders to shape culture; improve organizational effectiveness, agility, and innovation; and grow a future-ready workforce that is engaged, high-performing, accountable, and sustainable.
By fostering a wholistic ecosystem perspective and leveraging data-driven insights, the CPCO cultivates an employment experience that reflects Kindred’s commitment to people and purpose and continuously strengthens Kindred’s employer brand.
Key Responsibilities
Impact and Contribution
- Empowers and supports the team through strategic direction, coaching, and development.
- Fosters a collaborative and engaged high-performing team, ensuring they see how they contribute towards Kindred’s long-term impact and future.
- Cultivates a vibrant and purpose-driven workplace culture where employees experience an employment journey aligned with shared corporate values.
- Drives engagement and performance through innovative HR and OD strategies.
- Equips leadership with strategic insights, guidance, and support to make values-based, purpose-driven decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
- Ensures the workforce is future ready, effectively achieving current priorities while remaining agile and prepared for future challenges.
- Reinforces Kindred’s reputation as a preferred employer and a trusted, values and purpose-driven financial partner that adapts and innovates to meet the evolving needs of its members and communities.
Core Accountabilities
Executive Strategy and Governance
- Champions Kindred’s values, culture considerations, and employee experience in executive decision-making and strategy development, framing people as a strategic asset.
- Ensures the senior leadership team and Board of Directors are appropriately engaged in decisions and issues related to areas within the CPCO’s purview.
- Proactively contributes to enterprise risk oversight by flagging and mitigating culture and workforce-related risks, including legal and regulatory risks.
- Serves as a primary liaison to the Board on Governance and HR matters, Board training, Board and executive compensation frameworks, and regulatory reporting.
- Provides a stabilizing leadership presence during crises and organizational change.
Strategic Advisory
Serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO and SLT on culture, HR, OD, design, and change related matters:
- Advises and coaches senior and business unit leaders on sensitive, confidential, and complex HR issues.
- Partners on significant culture, OD, design, and change initiatives to help facilitate Kindred-wide consistency balanced with agility, innovation, and leadership accountability.
- Proactively identifies issues and opportunities to the CEO and SLT where HR, OD, or design interventions would support Kindred’s business strategy and recommends and/or implements effective solutions.
- Guides the CEO and SLT in succession planning and talent management strategies, ensuring workforce readiness and sustainability.
- Coaches and encourages senior leaders around their accountability for culture; change leadership; employee performance, development, wellness, belonging, and engagement.
- Leads the development of executive compensation programs and practices.
- Supports the CEO in facilitating SLT development.
Culture and Organizational Vision
Leads the development and implementation of enterprise-wide people and culture vision and strategies:
- Guides the corporate culture’s evolution to advance Kindred’s purpose and strategic objectives.
- Leads and advises on culture and organizational change efforts, advocating for and coaching with agility, best practices, and a human-centric approach.
- Shapes strategic compensation, development, wellness, EDI, and engagement programs that support and mobilize employees to help realize Kindred’s purpose and strategy, directing key investments in Kindred’s people.
- Oversees the internal communication strategy and delivery to promote and foster organization-wide community and connection to Kindred’s purpose and strategy.
Strategic HR and OD Leadership
Provides strategic direction and leadership for HR and OD initiatives, ensuring all aspects of the employee experience and lifecycle reflect Kindred’s values and brand, meet changing needs, and support Kindred’s purpose and strategic goals:
- Leads the People and Culture department (including all HR and OD functions, Learning and Development, Payroll, and Corporate Administration and Governance), ensuring all team members are aligned, performing, developed, rewarded, recognized, and engaged.
- Guides and supports the team in their OD and change management engagements.
- Oversees the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of innovative programs related to all aspects of HR, such as talent acquisition, total rewards, learning and development, performance management, engagement, workforce planning, and employee relations.
- Oversees the design of meaningful policies and practices that are compliant with legislation and regulation.
- Ensures HR systems, policies, and practices are equitable, efficient, effective, sustainable, future focused.
- Leverages people and culture analytics and insights to inform departmental and executive decisions and measure progress on key initiatives.
- Ensures Kindred’s employer brand resonates and is effective internally and in the marketplace.
The Individual
Bringing 15+ years of progressive HR and organizational leadership experience, the Chief People and Culture Officer (“CPCO”) is a strategic, values-driven leader with deep expertise in HR strategy, organizational development, and culture leadership. The ideal candidate brings experience applying strong systems thinking and data fluency to design scalable, effective operating models that enable performance and informed decision-making.
A proven change leader, the CPCO has led complex organizational design initiatives and enterprise-wide transformation, aligning structure, roles, and capabilities to evolving business strategy. With experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams, they foster collaboration and clarity while embedding values into day-to-day business operations.
The CPCO brings high emotional intelligence, strong communication and facilitation skills, and a pragmatic, execution-oriented approach. Balancing analytical rigor with thoughtful leadership, they deliver people and culture strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness and support long-term business and purpose-driven outcomes.
Key Qualifications
Technical Skills and Experience
- 15+ years of progressive HR or organizational leadership, ideally in financial services.
- Experience leading complex organizational change and cultural transformation.
- Proven oversight of multidisciplinary teams.
- Proven strategic and values-based leadership skills.
- Strong emotional intelligence and communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong systems thinking, problem-solving skills, and facilitation skills.
- Strong analytical skills and data fluency.
- Demonstrates a deep understanding of emerging industry trends and thought leadership on HR and OD, with the ability to serve as an advisor to the CEO, broader SLT, and Board of Directors as required.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources, or related field.
- Master’s degree or professional certifications in HR or Leadership.
- CHRL equivalent or higher.
