Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UMassFive College Credit Union; Age 37
Education: Mount Holyoke College (BA), Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst (MBA in process)
Lauren Duffy
What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was very young, I dreamed of becoming an ice-cream truck driver, so that I could have an endless supply of Chipwiches.
How do you define success? I believe the road to success is never traveled alone. I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment when I am surrounded by people who bring out the best in me, and we are harnessing our collective power to create positive change.
What three words best describe you?
Resilient, tenacious, grateful.
What are you passionate about? I am most passionate about my family: my wife, Liz, and our sons, Will and Ethan. Liz and I met as students at Mount Holyoke College and have spent over 16 years now cheering each other on in our personal and professional achievements. Both of our sons have experienced some significant challenges in their early years, which brings out a particularly passionate ‘mama bear’ mentality in me. I am so proud to watch them grow and thrive.
Who has been your best mentor, and why? My mother, Karen Duffy. She has taught me so much about how to be an ethical banking professional and leader. When I was in preschool, she got a job as a part-time teller at our local credit union in Rhode Island. I watched her get her college degree by going to night school and work her way up to the role of president/CEO at a credit union in Central Mass. I would listen at the dinner table as she talked about the important role credit unions, as not-for-profit financial cooperatives, can play in the lives of their member-owners. I have great respect for the way she has always been focused on using her position to create opportunities for others, providing financial-literacy education at a community college and serving on multiple nonprofit boards. I am fortunate to have her in my life, and the professional mentorship she has provided is no small part of our relationship.
What actress would play you in a movie about your life? Ellen Page.
What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? My favorite coffee mug is inscribed with the words, “empowered women empower women.” I try to start my mornings with that reminder to use my privilege to lift up someone else.
Photography by Leah Martin Photography
