By almost any financial measure, Andy Swoger’s first decade leading Keesler Federal Credit Union as CEO has been extraordinary. Assets have more than doubled to US$5.3 billion, membership has surged to almost 400,000, the number of branches has expanded from 24 up to 54, and over US$300 million in earnings has been added to capital.

Yet ask him what matters most and none of those figures make the list.

“We’re not a bank, we’re a credit union. And we are not focused on making profits,” he tells The CEO Magazine.

“We are focused on helping people, which is this crazy concept that actually works when you’re trying to grow a business.”

Purpose before profit

When Swoger first arrived as CEO at just 38 years old, he says he was intensely focused on financial performance. It took guidance from Keesler Federal Credit Union’s board to reshape his mindset.

“The chairman of the board pulled me aside and said, ‘This place is not about making money. We’re helping people here, OK? We’re building communities and we’re going to give it back,’” he recalls.

Initially, he resisted.

“I pushed back,” he admits. “But you don’t push back with the chairman of the board, because, eventually, he’s going to win – and he did.

“Our community loves Keesler Federal because we take care of their kids, we take care of their grandparents, we take care of our members.”

These days, rather than viewing profitability as the objective, Swoger now sees it as a by-product of fulfilling Keesler Federal Credit Union’s true purpose of building better communities.

And that purpose comes to life in everyday moments through its mission statement – be extraordinary. But extraordinary, Swoger explains, has little to do with banking transactions.

“I want to see a scuffle if a member drops her purse,” he says. “If grandma drops her purse, I want five people jumping on the ground to pick it up.

“We will do whatever it takes to be extraordinary. Sometimes that has nothing to do with banking.”

Paying it forward

This same philosophy underpins initiatives few financial institutions would even consider. For example, the credit union randomly selected members carrying credit-card debt and erased US$1 million worth of balances without warning.

“Our chairman of the board actually picks up the phone and calls to say, ‘Hey, you’re going to see in your statement you had a US$3,500 balance, your balance is zero now,” he says.

The program still continues today, alongside campaigns paying members’ car payments and supporting families during financial hardship.

“Some people would say that doesn’t make sense financially,” Swoger says. “Well look at our financials and tell me it doesn’t make sense.”

During government shutdowns, Keesler Federal Credit Union even continued paying federal employees whose paychecks had stopped.

“These people were missing their paychecks,” Swoger explains. “We have the ability to give them a paycheck, so why not do it?”

Dreaming bigger

Swoger’s optimism has always bordered on audacity. Long before Keesler Federal Credit Union became the official credit union of the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans and several major collegiate athletics programs, it was an idea he refused to let go.

“I literally picked up the phone and cold called the Saints,” he says.

Initially, he was told they already had a banking partner, but instead of walking away, he called back.

“I said, ‘We’re not a bank, we’re a credit union.’”

Six months later, the partnership was signed. Swoger’s advice for aspiring leaders reflects that mindset.

“Dream about it and see it,” he advises.

“Once you can actually see it, then it starts to get clearer. Then you know you can actually do it.”

Fueling Keesler Federal Credit Union’s expansion, this philosophy has also kept service firmly at its center.

“If there’s ever a dip in our service, I hit the brakes,” he acknowledges.

“I’m more about offering a great experience for our members.”

Leading from the front

Speak to Swoger long enough and it’s clear his leadership was forged long before his role at Keesler Federal Credit Union. Growing up, weekends meant helping his bricklayer father mix mortar and carry concrete blocks.

“I used to hate the weekends when I was a kid, because I wasn’t spending the night at friends’ houses; I was getting up on Saturday at 5 o’clock in the morning,” he says.

“I worked Saturday and Sunday and my dad used to say to me, ‘Hey, this is where you’re at right now. If you want, use your mind instead of your back.’”

The experience instilled humility and an uncompromising work ethic in Swoger.

“My team knows I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” he says. “I don’t have this ego that puts me above everybody else. We’re all equal at Keesler Federal.”

Just as important is the culture he calls, ‘One Team’, which ensures every employee understands the value they bring.

“One of the things that I’m very passionate about is making sure that everybody on my team, whether they’re a teller or a chief officer, knows how valuable they are to the organization and it doesn’t work without them,” he says.

As Keesler Federal Credit Union continues expanding following the largest credit union merger in Mississippi and Louisiana history, Swoger insists growth will never become the goal itself.

“We’re not trying to be bigger just to be bigger,” he says. “Building communities, taking care of our members – that’s what we care about.

“It becomes contagious and people want to be part of it. That’s why we’ve grown.”