ST. JOSEPH — United Federal Credit Union appointed Michael Ruchti to the position of chief financial officer. He will be responsible for directing financial operations and developing strategic direction regarding asset and liability management.

His primary goals will be to reinforce consistent earnings, liquidity and financial safety. Ruchti is headquartered in St. Joseph, and will report directly to United Federal Credit Union CEO Terry O’Rourke.

“This is a critical position for our organization as we continue to grow and head into the second half of 2018 with a clear strategy of growth, serving our members, and investing in our communities. Because, for us, finding the right person was about both talent and cultural fit, we took our time evaluating candidates,” O’Rourke said. “Michael is going to be a great addition to our senior leadership team because of his experience and proven success record, but his character and compassion make him a great fit for Team United as well.”

Ruchti joins UFCU after serving in diverse financial leadership roles for the past 15 years. Most recently, he served as chief financial officer at Greenleaf Trust in Kalamazoo, since 2013.

This experience is critical for UFCU as it seeks to expand its membership in key markets and top its current assets of more than $2.6 billion. As CFO, among other responsibilities, Ruchti will be tasked with maintaining the robust health of the company’s financial ratios by strategically encouraging income and loan growth.

“We are doing a great job of fulfilling our overall mission — to enhance the lives of our members and improve our communities,” O’Rourke said. “We are proud to offer all our communities a wide variety of financial solutions while safeguarding the financial sustainability of our membership as a whole. As we strengthen our team with talented additions like Michael, we have a strong balance sheet to support our strategy.”

In 2013, before his role at Greenleaf Trust, Ruchti was director of corporate financial planning and analysis at Keurig Green Mountain, where he directed the financial planning and analysis activities for a growing $4 billion-dollar global company. Prior to that role, from 2006 until January 2013, Ruchti was in positions of increasing authority at Whirlpool Corporation, most recently serving as global controller/fabric care.

In his personal time, Ruchti co-founded Bunny Buddies, an Easter basket donation project, and serves on the Berrien Community Foundation Fund Development Committee and as treasurer of the Saint Joseph Baseball Association.

He holds an MBA in finance from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance from Idaho State University.