DALLAS–BankSocial has announced two people have joined its board.
Michael Abraham, a seasoned financial services executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across banking, credit unions, and CUSOs, has joined the board.
Abraham currently serves as chief strategy officer at Great Lakes Credit Union, where he oversees enterprise initiatives spanning business development, lending, mergers and acquisitions, and external growth. Following the successful 2024 merger between Great Lakes Credit Union and First Financial Credit Union, Abraham was also named CEO of GLCU Holdings, CEO of Mortgage Forward, and CEO of GLCU Insurance, a group of closely held CUSOs supporting the organization’s long-term growth and diversification strategy.
Previously, Abraham served as president/CEO of First Financial Credit Union, where he led a period of transformational expansion, growing the institution by more than 300%. During his tenure, he helped design and launch the Encurage Network Credit Union Model, an innovative approach to collaboration and shared services within the credit union ecosystem.
Before joining the credit union industry in 2014, Abraham spent over a decade in community, regional, and national banking, holding leadership roles across lending and operations, including serving as a loan department lead for one of the largest financial institutions in the United States.
Abraham brings extensive governance experience to his board appointment. He currently serves on the board of the Illinois Credit Union Foundation, the Illinois Credit Union League as vice chairman, Envisant as vice chairman, Services Credit Union as Vice Chairman, and as chairman of the National Credit Union Insurance Alliance. He also serves on the board of Aviary AI and advises several investment and growth-focused ventures.
Beyond financial services, Abraham serves as a board member of Synergies Seed Fund, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities. His prior board experience includes service with Xtend in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Resources for Community Living in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
In addition to his executive leadership, Abraham is an Adjunct Faculty Member at North Park University, where he has taught finance and management courses in the MBA program since 2018.
Abraham holds a Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University, an MBA in Finance, and a postgraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin.
A lifelong resident of the Chicagoland area, Abraham lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with his wife Erin and their three children. Outside of work, he is actively involved in coaching youth sports and remains a loyal Chicago Bears and Cubs fan, despite the heartbreak most seasons bring.
“Michael Abraham brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational rigor, and deep credit union expertise,” said John Wingate, CEO BankSocial. “His leadership and perspective will be instrumental as we continue to advance our mission and long-term growth strategy.”
Wheeler Joins Board
Also joining the board is Glenn Wheeler, a seasoned executive with more than three decades of experience shaping payments strategy, product innovation, and industry modernization, is emerging as one of the foremost thought leaders in the U.S. payments ecosystem.
Wheeler served as Vice President, Payments Strategy & Product Innovation at Catalyst Corporate Federal Credit Union, where he drove cutting-edge payments initiatives, including real-time and instant payment product strategy and ecosystem participation for Credit Unions nationwide. His time there was also spent leading strategic payments product management and operations, helping financial institutions modernize their payments infrastructure and leverage new rails such as the FedNow Service.
Earlier in his career, Wheeler held leadership positions across major industry organizations, including president and CEO of PaymentsNation and President of Viewpointe Clearing, Settlement & Association Services LLC. He also served as Vice President of Float Management for Bank One and held senior roles involving payments operations, strategy, and analysis at other financial institutions.
A respected speaker and industry voice, Wheeler is a frequent presenter at national payments conferences. His insights on instant payments, payments modernization, and the impact of artificial intelligence in financial services have been featured at events such as the NACHA Annual Payments Conference and the BAI Payments Conference.
In addition to his corporate leadership, Wheeler’s influence extends to the broader payments ecosystem. He has served on multiple industry task forces and boards, including working groups of the U.S. Faster Payments Council, where he contributes to advancing safer, faster, and more efficient payment systems in the United States.
“Payments systems are evolving at an incredible pace,” Wheeler says. “Innovation, collaboration, and a clear focus on delivering value for financial institutions and their customers must guide how we build the future of money movement.”
“Payments are no longer just about rails. They’re about orchestration, intelligence, and trust at scale.” John Wingate, CEO of BankSocial added about Wheeler’s addition. “Glenn understands that better than almost anyone. As we evolve our growth strategy to serve Corporate and Banker’s Banks alongside Credit Unions, his guidance will help us shape a more connected, modern payments ecosystem.”
Wheeler holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and continues to champion initiatives that support industry growth, operational efficiency, and the adoption of next-generation payment technologies.
