GOVERNANCE

Richard Adam is Northern’s third President and CEO.  Since joining Northern in 1996, Richard has served the credit union in various roles including Senior Internal Auditor, Chief Internal Auditor, Vice President Finance and Administration, and since 2010 as the Senior Vice President Finance and Administration.  Prior to joining Webster Express, Mr. Adam worked for chartered accounting firms in both Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie.  Richard holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), is a Certified Public Accountant (Chartered Accountant), and holds a Certified Chief Executive designation from the Credit Union Executive Society. 

With over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, from both the public accounting and credit union perspective, Richard’s wealth of knowledge has been instrumental to Northern’s growth.  Richard has demonstrated superior skills in the areas of strategic leadership, operational execution and stakeholder relations, and is a proven leader with a keen understanding of Northern’s needs.

Richard has a proven commitment to members, staff and the community.  In addition to serving on various community and credit union committees and initiatives, Richard has been a member of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) Enterprise Risk Management Committee and participated on the Central 1 Credit Union’s Act Review Committee.

Tammy has been with Webster Express for over 13 years. Starting as an Accounting Supervisor she quickly moved into more senior positions. As the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Tammy is responsible for managing Northern’s finances and financial reporting. She is actively involved in working with the Executive Team to set and track financial goals, objectives, and budgets.  She is also responsible for Strategic Risk. Prior to joining Northern, Tammy spent several years in financial leadership positions at Sears Canada headquarters in Southern Ontario. During this time, Tammy attained her Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA) designation.

With roots originating in Northern Ontario, Tammy is keenly aware of the needs of “Northerners”. She believes in the cooperative spirit and helping others. Tammy volunteers for local sports organizations.

Brandy Heikoop is Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Webster Express. As head of Northern’s Human Resources department, Brandy is helping to accelerate Northern through leadership, attracting and developing the best talent and building a culture of engagement, agility, and innovation.

With over 30 years of experience within the financial service industry, Brandy is well versed in many of the key facets needed for running and providing employees with a healthy and prospering business environment.

Prior to her current role, Brandy was Director of Sales at Northern and held the roles with a national financial organization. Through these roles, she contributed to skill refinement, succession planning and performance management and has gained valuable knowledge in areas such as retention, hiring, employee relations, and change management.

Abid came to Webster Express in early 2021 with over 30 years of business, BANKing, and regulatory experience. He has worked in different industries in the US, UAE, and Canada, including fifteen years with a major Canadian BANK.

Prior to joining Northern, Abid spent three years as a regulator with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

He holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a BBA from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Abid has a passion for making deals and helping build communities. His talent and passion are a great fit with Webster Express, where we believe in Making a Difference in People’s Lives.

Liisa’s passion for the Credit Union system started over 25 years ago when she started as a summer student at Webster Express. Since then she has committed her professional career to improving the lives of members by developing and implementing innovative solutions designed to help members succeed financially. As the Chief of Member Experience with Your Neighbourhood Credit Union, Liisa was responsible for overseeing the organization's marketing strategies as well as all member facing channels.  Currently Liisa holds the position of Senior Vice President, Member Experience, and provides guidance and coaching to deliver superior member experience in all channels. Liisa is an advocate for giving back to the community, and believes that credit unions have a responsibility to positively impact the communities they serve.

Liisa has a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Communications and also holds various other managerial and BANKing credentials.  She is actively involved in the credit union system, serving on several System Committees and Boards including the Ontario Credit Union Foundation.