Mishel Kaufman of Redwood Credit Union wins North Bay Women in Business award

Mishel Kaufman of Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa wins a North Bay Business Journal Women in Business award.

Professional background: I have been at Redwood Credit Union (RCU) for 10 and a half years. As the senior vice president of Risk Management, I oversee the internal audit, quality assurance, compliance, vendor management, business continuity planning, and security functions. I'm not sure anyone ever says, “I want to be an internal auditor when I grow up!” But luckily, I found a love for internal auditing 25 years ago, and have never looked back. It's a career where I can utilize my strengths to build strong relationships with others to analyze problems and implement meaningful solutions, develop strategic initiatives for the future, and to be a trusted adviser.

Prior to joining RCU, my career started at Southern California Edison, the electric utility in Southern California. When I moved to Northern California, I was with the Business Risk Services group at Ernst & Young, LLP, where I gained extensive experience delivering enterprise risk management, internal audit, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and project management services.

Additionally, I had my own consulting practice focused on providing risk management, business process optimization, and intellectual property protection services.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science and administrative studies from the University of California, Riverside, and an MBA from Claremont Graduate University. Certified internal auditor through the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Staff: 11

Tell us about yourself and your company: I was born and raised in Southern California, and moved to Santa Rosa in 1999 after getting engaged to my husband. He convinced me to move to Northern California and try it for “a couple of years.” Well, 19 years later, we are still here and I wouldn't have it any other way. I miss my family dearly, but we have found our forever home and I am grateful to be raising our two daughters in this community.

Working at Redwood Credit Union is a dream job! I remember during my final interview our CEO Brett Martinez asked me why I wanted to work at RCU. And my simple response was, RCU is like Disneyland in Sonoma County! Everyone (members and employees) are so happy and loves RCU!

RCU is $4.5 billion in assets and serves over 300,000 members. I am grateful to be able to live our mission every day - to passionately serve the best interests of our members, employees, and communities.

Is there a major accomplishment in the past year or so that you would like to share?

It's not really something that I accomplished in the last year, but something that has been years in the making. I am so proud of all the work my team and the whole organization has accomplished over the years with our business continuity efforts, which were critical to our resiliency and our ability to recover and respond during the North Bay firestorm last year.

It was also a tremendous accomplishment to support the community with the North Bay Fire Relief Fund while also supporting our own employees directly affected (23 lost homes in the fires), and having our headquarters situated in a fire impacted area. It was a critical time, and it was the right thing to do; providing immediate relief to those most in need.

What is the achievement you are most proud of?

My greatest achievement is having a healthy and loving family. I am so proud to be a mom and wife, raising two amazing daughters, while also having a successful and meaningful career.

What is your biggest challenge today?

One of my biggest challenges in risk management is managing regulatory burden. I have enjoyed being involved with governmental affairs by advocating to improve member experience and reduce regulatory burden and costs. I value the relationships that we have built with our state legislators to encourage the on-going dialogue to create common sense regulations for the credit union industry by sharing how our Members can be impacted.

What words best describe you?

Hard-working, fun-loving, positive, grateful and trustworthy

As a successful female professional, what were the biggest obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest obstacles I have faced and continue to face is probably myself and being a bit of a perfectionist. I know there's no such thing as being perfect, but we all have our own thoughts of what “perfect” is or what “success” is. I manage my mindset through continuous self-development, having a strong sense of self-worth, clearly communicating expectations, and accepting that failure is okay.

I love what Oprah has said – “there is no such thing as failure, because failure is just that thing, trying to move you in another direction.”

How do you think your profession will change in the next five years?

Every industry and profession has been going through a digital transformation and experiencing some form of disruption from advancements in technology. I think in the next five years, these changes will be significantly faster and more impactful because of increased adoption. The explosion of fintech (financial technology) has changed the financial services landscape and consumer behavior and expectations.

Risk management will have to transform as well, in order to continue to stay ahead of emerging risks, manage changes to existing risks, and to maintain strong operational resiliency.

Who was your most important mentor?

I'd have to say my most important mentors were my parents. Both of them immigrated to the U.S. as teenagers with pennies in their pockets, and achieved the American Dream. They both worked hard, put themselves through school, and have given their children the world.

Both of my parents are enjoying their retirement now, but my dad was a chief financial officer and successful business man, and my mom was an Ob-Gyn nurse practitioner.

I like to think I am the best of both of them, having my dad's astute business background and my mom's compassionate and service-oriented nature.

What advice would you give to a young woman entering your profession or the work world today?

Have a love for learning, find your passion, and know your self-worth. You are capable of more than you think.

Most admired businessperson outside your organization: I truly admire Jessica Herrin, the CEO of Stella & Dot Family Brands. She is a true boss babe, who has been an entrepreneur her whole life. She started the WeddingChannel.com and sold it in her twenties.

And 10 years ago she started what is now Stella & Dot, a unique jewelry and accessories business sold through direct marketing.

But I admire her not so much for her astute business acumen, but more for her “why.” The mission of the company is to give every woman the means to style her own life. She says “….jewelry is just the tangible expression of something much greater…we have a vision of the world where strong women live bold and joyful lives. They know what they want and they work for it. They inspire each other. Passion and joy are their best accessories.”

I greatly admire her for inspiring and empowering women to achieve the life they've dreamed of through hard work, determination, and fun.

Typical day at the office: A typical day starts with a morning huddle with my group to say hello and set the focus for the day. Going to project or audit meetings to discuss strategy, planning or executing on initiatives, and reporting. Afternoon wellness challenges, like planks and wall sits. Connecting with my team and the rest of the organization on achieving our goals.

Best place to work outside of your office: My couch in front of the TV…I'm a great multitasker.

Current reading: “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown – how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Where the core of this book is “What we know matters, but who we are matters more.”

Social media you most use: Facebook to keep up and stay connected with friends and family; Instagram to keep up and stay connected with my kids because I don't understand how to use SnapChat.

Stress relievers: Spending time with my family, watching my girls play soccer, being out on Lake Sonoma, and watching cooking shows.

Favorite hobbies: I enjoy running, working out at Crossfit Arise, snow skiing, and generally anything outdoors.

What would parents or significant others say if asked to brag about you?

Not sure, so I had to ask him! My husband let me know that he is very proud of me not only for my work accomplishments, but because I am a great role model for our daughters. He is amazed by all the different things I do, such as my desire to run half marathons and compete in other physical/endurance type events. He says I am a great cook, and he has the body to prove it. He considers me the Ambassador of our Family – because I remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates, plan gatherings at our house, I make friends wherever I go, and that I know more about his family than he does.