Vision 2035 — The Bold Credit Union Strategy Quietly Dominating the American Southwest

Can a credit union really compete with Chase and Chime? Sunward Federal Credit Union's EVP Alex De La Cruz says yes — and he's got the numbers to prove it.Alex brings nearly two decades of financial services experience across Bank of America, First Tech Federal Credit Union, TDECU, and Teachers Federal Credit Union before joining Sunward in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Today he leads retail, lending, digital, marketing, and strategy — one of the broadest executive roles in the credit union industry.In this episode, Alex gets brutally honest about what it takes to win in community banking in 2026. He breaks down Sunward's Vision 2035 strategy, explains why member experience means nothing without data, and shares how a not-for-profit cooperative is quietly becoming the dominant financial institution in the American Southwest — from New Mexico to Colorado and beyond.If you work in credit unions, community banking, or financial services — this one is required listening.Highlights:From Bank of America skeptic to credit union championVision 2035 and top-quartile growth in the SouthwestFull-stream housing strategy: dirt to doorstepDigital vs. branch: what actually drives acquisition in 2026Competing with JPMorgan Chase without a billion-dollar budgetExpanding into Colorado and the Four Corners regionThe Outlier Podcast — Honest conversations with leaders redefining financial services.