CEO Spotlight: Edward Bohnwagner

When Edward Bohnwagner accepted the position of CEO at UBI, he knew it was the direction he had wanted to follow.  After graduating college with a finance degree, starting his career in banking, he worked as an accountant, moving through the ranks to Assistant Controller, then Controller at two different $500 million dollar banks, ending up as VP of Accounting due to a merger with Webster Bank.  This merger eventually led to a career move; he became a CFO of a Community Development Financial Institution, leading him to UBI. All his experiences in financial institutions put him on a great path to becoming CEO of UBI.

As the very new CEO (he’s been on the job for four months), he says it is amazing getting to work with so many different people, from CU members to team members, vendors, and the community. Edward is community oriented with a focus on getting to know everyone; his open-door policy has enabled him to meet many in the community.  “UBI is very committed to the Community and looking to do more within our means,” and Edward truly desires to be able to make a difference in all areas of the Credit Union.  As CEO, he believes that for Credit Unions to succeed, they are increasing community engagement at many levels.  As a former coach of youth soccer and youth lacrosse and a volunteer high school lacrosse coach, Edward understands teamwork and the power of people working toward a common goal. A team is greater than the sum of its parts. Having a team environment that works hard but can also strive to be the best is the environment he strives for at UBI. 

Many businesses turned their focus inward during the pandemic, and UBI was no exception.  In light of the power of community engagement, Edward has focused his vision on re-engaging within the community. As CEO it has been his pleasure to meet so many who are committed to making Plainville, Bristol, Berlin, and surrounding communities a wonderful place to live, play and work.  As a community credit union, it is of utmost importance to be part of the community.  UBI has recently increased their sponsorships and met with the Boys and Girls Club of Bristol to see how their credit union can support, contribute, and provide financial literacy to the organization.   Edward believes that the best marketing is word of mouth and that happens much more when you are active in the community.

Want to be featured in an upcoming CEO Spotlight? Contact Katherine D'Orvilliers at kdorvilliers@culct.coop.