Member Engagement and Collaboration

After a three-year hiatus, members of the GABV actively engaged in-person exchanges again in 2022, taking advantage of the opportunity to learn from peers through study visits in different regions.

In June, the Secretariat arranged a visit by CEO Dwayne Naylor and members of the Civic Federal Credit Union Board to meet with senior leaders from Banca Etica in Italy, Freie Gemeinschaftsbank and Alternative Bank Schweiz in Switzerland, and GLS Bank in Germany to help deepen and expand Civic’s values-based agenda.

In addition to the North American and European Regional Chapter Meetings, Martin Rohner followed the in-person meeting in Bangladesh with a visit to Australia to meet members Bank Australia, Australian Mutual Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank Limited and G&C Mutual Bank

GABV Executive Director, Martin Rohner, visited existing and potential members in different locations during the year. A trip to East Asia with Asia Pacific regional representative, Upendra Poudyal, included meetings with the CEOs of member banks ESAF and North East Small Finance in India, and Bank Muamalat in Malaysia.

NMB Bank in Nepal sent its first delegate of managers to BRAC Bank in Bangladesh in December to learn about its impactful work in the SME sector. This visit was the first part of a wider exchange programme that may include visits to other members in Asia Pacific.

Also in June, a delegation from Bank Australia met with vdk bank in Belgium and Triodos Bank in the Netherlands, as well as the GABV Secretariat, to learn more about approaches to impact management.

President and CEO of Clear Water Credit Union in USA, Jack Lawson, travelled to Australia after the Dhaka Meeting and spent two weeks with Bank Australia to get inspiration and meet their work on climate change and reconciliation.