Mike Boden

Q: What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

What stands out most about my leadership style is that I lead through clarity, collaboration and purpose. I believe people perform their best when they understand not just what they are doing, but why it matters. My role as a leader is to connect strategy to meaning, remove barriers and empower talented people to take ownership of outcomes.

At OneAZ Credit Union, that philosophy has guided how we’ve transformed the organization by breaking down silos, building trust and aligning everyone around our mission to create financial well-being for all Arizonans. I am most proud of how our teams have embraced cross-functional collaboration that focuses on delivering member value rather than operating by department. It’s created stronger engagement, faster problem solving and greater innovation. When people are trusted, informed and connected to purpose, they achieve more than any plan alone could ever deliver.

Q: What impact have any disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The past 18 months have reinforced that leadership in times of disruption requires calm, clarity and connection. At OneAZ, we’ve navigated rapid change, from transforming our operating model to preparing for the acquisition of 1st Bank Yuma, all while maintaining focus on our mission and people.

I’ve learned that during uncertainty, people don’t just look for direction; they look for authenticity and reassurance. Being transparent about what we know, what we’re learning and how we’ll move forward together has strengthened trust across the organization.

These challenges also reshaped how I lead. I’ve focused on facilitating collaboration, encouraging diverse voices, inviting debate and empowering leaders to co-create solutions. That approach has built resilience and adaptability within our teams. Disruption has reminded me that leadership isn’t about having every answer; it’s about creating an environment where people can thrive even as the answers evolve.

Q: What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Economic growth begins with the connection between businesses, community leaders and the people they serve. As a business community, we can accelerate Arizona’s growth by focusing on three essentials: access, education and partnership.

Access means ensuring individuals and small businesses can obtain fair credit, trusted advice and affordable capital. Education builds financial confidence and empowers better decisions. And partnership is aligning across sectors to share resources and ideas to amplify impact far beyond what any one organization can achieve.

At OneAZ, we’re committed to these principles. Through our associates, branch network and community foundation, we’ve provided more than $1 million in grants to Arizona nonprofits, and we continue to invest in financial education programs that help families and entrepreneurs thrive. When people and small businesses are financially healthy, they reinvest locally, which fuels a stronger, more inclusive economy for everyone.

Q: What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We are fortunate to be in a position where we can have a prosperous business model and pursue some of our meaningful passions at the same time. Our Charitable Committee spearheads much of what we do in our spare time: volunteering for causes that we love, fundraising on behalf of important missions and spending time giving back to our community. These efforts not only strengthen our bonds as a team but also allow us to create lasting impact, fostering goodwill and demonstrating that success is most rewarding when shared with those who need it most.