Profile: Nicole Prokoppa, Cambrian Credit Union
Nicole Prokoppa
PMO Business Analyst, Cambrian Credit Union
Career:
Start in the credit union system: 2001
Nicole’s aspiration in high school was to start a business with her father. Instead, she started her career in the credit union system. She joined as a Member Services Representative, then became a Financial Services Assistant, before moving into the role of Member Services Supervisor which she held for 7 years.
Nicole transitioned from in-branch to head office to become an Admin Systems Support. She occupied this role for 6 years before graduating to Admin Systems Support Team Lead, and then Policy & Procedures Administrator.
Nicole is new to her current role at Cambrian as PMO Business Analyst but has prior experience performing business analysis and project management.
A typical day:
Nicole says no day is the same, and that’s exactly how she likes it. Her day could be filled with meetings for new and exciting projects or initiatives, planning and preparing documentation, researching new and innovative ways of getting work done, or analyzing and understanding business problems and documenting requirements.
Continuous learning & improvement:
Nicole ensures she is continuously learning and improving by always remaining curious and not being afraid to ask questions. She says she seizes every opportunity to discover whether there is a lesson to be learned, repeated or refined, and that she is a lifelong learner with a growth mindset.
Keys to success:
Nicole credits her growth mindset for her success, as well as the humility to know that she doesn’t have all the answers.
Recommended reading for young leaders:
Nicole says, hands down, she recommends Drew Dudley’s book ‘This is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters’. She says had the opportunity to see Drew at the National Young Leaders Conference when it was held in Winnipeg and he was an excellent speaker. Nicole says his book accurately describes that we can all be leaders, and that leadership is not defined by a title or whether you manage others; leadership is in all of us, and we have the power to be a positive influence in the lives of others.
Guiding principles:
Some of Nicole’s guiding principles are:
Be positive, helpful and stay curious.
Find a good work/life balance – the work will always be there, moments with your family and loved ones may not.
Enjoy nature and find your happy place – Nicole’s happy place is out in the Grand Beach area where she has a travel trailer.