Originally established to serve employees of Shell Oil, the organization transitioned to a community charter in the early 2000s, expanding its reach while maintaining the values that defined its earliest days. As a full-service financial institution, Shell FCU differentiates itself through exceptional service, supported by a board and leadership team that takes the idea of people serving people seriously.
This pattern of internal growth extends across Shell FCU’s Executive Team. Their CEO began his career as a teller more than 30 years ago, and every executive currently in place was promoted from within. While the organization has brought in outside talent when necessary, Shell FCU has long believed that developing leaders from within creates a distinct and lasting advantage. “When you grow up inside the organization, you understand how we operate,” Natalie explains. “You understand our culture, our members, and our expectations in a way that’s hard to be taught.”
As workforce dynamics evolved, maintaining that strong internal bench became more complex. Average tenure began to decline, and employee expectations shifted alongside broader generational changes.
“Keeping people engaged while also managing expectations has become harder,” Natalie says. “Employees want faster timelines, and they want to know what’s next.”
Managers were feeling the pressure too. Day-to-day operational demands made it increasingly difficult to carve out time for intentional coaching and development. “It’s hard for managers to step away and focus on training when things are moving so quickly,” Natalie explains. “At the same time, we’re seeing more turnover, which makes it feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up.”
There was also a growing gap between aspiration and reality. “Everyone wants to be a manager,” Natalie says candidly. “But once you get there, it’s not always what you thought it was.” As the organization continued to grow, there were moments when internal pipelines couldn’t keep pace, forcing Shell FCU to hire externally more often than it would have preferred. “That’s when I really remember us feeling it,” she recalls. “We used to have that strong bench, and suddenly we didn’t.”
At the same time, new succession planning expectations from the National Credit Union Administration required credit unions to take a more deliberate and documented approach. For Shell FCU, this regulatory shift arrived at an opportune moment. “It actually came at a good time for us,” Natalie says. “It helped create the buy-in we needed. Not only do we have to do this, but let’s do it really well and filter it down through the organization.”
Rather than approaching succession planning as a compliance requirement, Shell FCU embraced it as a way to elevate conversations with leaders and the board. At the same time, the HR team was hearing increasing demand from employees for clearer career pathing. Natalie was mindful of the risks in how those conversations were framed.
“Some people treat career paths very literally,” she explains. “When it becomes a checkbox exercise, people end up disappointed because the promotion isn’t immediate.”
Succession planning became an opportunity to create clarity, not promises. “It helped us align expectations with reality,” Natalie says, “and connect development to what the organization actually needs.”
Natalie is open about the learning curve involved in getting started. “I went in blind,” she admits. “When you know something is going to the NCUA, you tend to overanalyze and overthink everything.” What changed was taking a step back after the initial deadline. “Once January passed, I could come back with a clear mind and build it out more intentionally,” she says. “That’s when it really clicked that this isn’t a one-and-done exercise.”
Today, succession planning at Shell FCU is treated as a dynamic, ongoing process. For employees identified as potential successors two to three years out, development gaps are addressed directly and deliberately. “If there’s something someone is missing, we incorporate that into their performance appraisal,” Natalie explains. “It makes development actionable, not theoretical.”
Managers are now better equipped to play an active role in the process. Rather than relying solely on Human Resources, leaders are given tools to help their teams and intentionally build their own bench strength. “This is about using succession planning as a tool,” Natalie says. “It empowers managers to invest in their people and prepares the organization for the future at the same time.”
While Shell FCU met its regulatory requirements, Natalie sees the work as far from finished. “We did what we needed to do for the NCUA,” she says. “Now we want to go back in and really investigate how we can use this even better.”
When Natalie talks about the end state, she comes back to a message she heard early in her career from Shell FCU’s CEO. “He always said, ‘I want to leave my area better than I found it.’” For Natalie, that mindset captures the true purpose of succession planning.
The goal is a well-run, thoughtfully developed organization that continues to invest in its people, even as technology and automation reshape the industry. “We’re in the people industry,” she says. “In a world that’s becoming more AI-driven, that human connection is becoming a true differentiator.”
No matter what the future holds, Shell FCU’s focus remains clear. “We’re going to be there to help people,” Natalie says. “Our employees, our members, and our community. That’s who we are, and that’s not changing.”
That commitment is deeply embedded in the organization’s leadership story. Natalie May, Shell FCU’s ’s Chief Human Resources Officer, has been with the credit union for 24 years. She began her career as a teller and in member services before being selected to join a newly established HR department. Over time, she completed her degree and grew into the Chief Human Resources Officer role.
“I’ve had an account here since I was a baby,” she shares. “My dad worked at the Shell refinery, so I truly grew up with this credit union.”
