Smith & Wilkinson has been retained by American Eagle Financial Credit Union (“American Eagle”) to manage the search for the organization’s next SVP Chief Lending Officer (CLO). With $2.7B in assets, $2.3B in deposits, 375 team members, and 168,000 members as of March 2026, American Eagle is the largest community credit union in Connecticut and among the largest in New England. Guided by its mission to enrich the lives of their communities and create a world where financial freedom is a reality, American Eagle is seeking an accomplished lending executive to lead a mature lending organization.
Reporting directly to the President & CEO and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CLO will provide strategic leadership for all lending functions and oversee an established team of approximately 40 professionals through four direct reports. The CLO will lead a diverse, high-performing loan portfolio of approximately $1.75B and drive lending strategy, growth, operational excellence, innovation, risk management, and member experience across the organization.
The ideal candidate is an experienced lending executive with broad expertise across consumer and residential lending, and preferably commercial lending. They will bring strong business judgment, a member-focused mindset, and a collaborative leadership style, with the ability to work across the organization to drive growth, identify and implement emerging lending technologies and industry trends, and deliver increasing value to both members and team members. The successful candidate will be an innovative and strategic leader who balances sustainable growth with sound credit discipline in support of American Eagle’s mission and long-term success.
Contact Moriah Callahan, Partner & Director of Recruiting, or Carll Wilkinson, President & CEO, to learn more about this unique leadership opportunity.