Leadership Spotlight
Sarah Gillespie has joined MHV as our new Chief Banking Officer. She has spent more than two decades in the credit union world, and she reports to MHV President and CEO Razi Qadri.
Her job comes down to one thing: making sure the people MHV serves have a voice in the room where decisions get made.
What Sarah will focus on
Sarah leads business development and financial education at MHV. She is also responsible for building on what MHV members already count on — strong service, real community investment, and banking that keeps getting easier to use.
Inside MHV’s executive leadership, she represents the perspective of the people the credit union serves. That means members, business clients, and community partners.
In her words
“MHV is investing in exactly the things I care most about,” says Gillespie. “Because we’re a credit union, my focus will always come back to financial education and meeting our members, business clients, and communities where they are. As we continue to invest in digital banking and payments, my team and I will be the voice of the member — helping ensure that innovation always translates into a better experience for the people and businesses we serve.”
Why MHV hired her
“We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah to the MHV team,” says Qadri. “Expectations around speed and seamless digital interactions are evolving rapidly within our industry, and Sarah’s proven track record of leading enterprise-wide transformation, particularly within digital banking and payments, will ensure that MHV meets and surpasses this moment.”
From teller to the executive team
Sarah started her credit union career 26 years ago as a teller at Hudson Valley Credit Union. She moved up through branch roles, then took on bigger responsibilities across the organization. She earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational management along the way.
She left as senior vice president of the project management office, a team she built from the ground up. In that role she led large-scale system conversions, digital banking projects, and two credit union mergers. She also holds a certificate in mergers and acquisitions from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
A Hudson Valley story
Sarah grew up in Pleasant Valley. She has lived in Ulster County since 2005.
She serves as assistant treasurer and a Finance Committee member on the Hudson Valley Hospice Board of Directors, and she previously served on its Foundation Board of Trustees.
That local connection matters here. MHV has served this region since 1963, and decisions get made by people who live in the same seven counties as the members they serve.
What this means for you
You will see Sarah’s work show up in a few places. More support for business members. More financial education you can actually use. And a continued push to make everyday banking simpler, whether you are in a branch or on your phone.