SPIRE's Lehman Named Top Woman in Finance

Lisa Lehman, VP Marketing/Business Development for SPIRE Credit Union, has been named a 2023 Top Woman in Finance by Finance & Commerce. This award honors industry-leading executives in the financial sector for outstanding contributions and dedication to their profession, communities, and society.

In 2008 during the economic recession, Lisa Lehman led the initiative to develop a new brand and name, changing Twin City Co-ops Federal Credit Union to SPIRE Credit Union with Lehman being the creative mind behind SPIRE’s logo. Under Lehman’s leadership, SPIRE’s brand has gained exponential recognition, as proven by the 71 state and national marketing awards won by SPIRE Credit Union since rebranding. Today, SPIRE is ranked in the top 1% of credit unions nationwide in growth and the top five in brand awareness amongst financial institutions in Minnesota.

And now, fifteen years after the successful launch of the SPIRE brand, Lehman is working with a collaborative team comprised of Hiway and SPIRE credit union employees on a new, next-generation credit union brand resulting from the Hiway-SPIRE merger. The new name and brand will launch Mid-November.

Lisa serves on the board of directors for Secondhand Hounds (becoming The Bond Between) and is an executive committee member for the Credit Union National Association’s Marketing and Business Development Council. In 2021, Lisa was selected as a Credit Union Rockstar, and honored as a notable person in marketing by Twin Cities Business Magazine in 2022.

“Lehman has influenced every aspect of SPIRE’s brand and marketing strategy,” said Casey Carlson, SPIRE Chief Marketing Officer, “She is a creative force within the credit union industry and continues to embody what it means to be a strategic leader with heart.”