Watch and read testimonials from some of our past and present clients and see how Samaha & Associates creates custom strategies and solutions that power the country’s leading Credit Unions.
Brian Waldron
President and CEO
President and CEO
Dort Financial Credit Union, Grand Blanc, MI
Ben Johnson
President and CEO
President and CEO
US Community Credit Union, Nashville, TN
Mike Miller
President and CEO
President and CEO
iTHINK Financial Credit Union, Boca Raton, FL
Jenee Rawlings
President and CEO
President and CEO
Yolo Federal Credit Union, Woodland, CA
Eileen Phelps
COO
COO
Credit Union of America, Wichita, KS
James Sessa
President and CEO
President and CEO
Coast Central Credit Union, Eureka, CA
Suzanne Weinstein
President and CEO
President and CEO
Orlando Credit Union, Orlando, FL
Charles Wiggington Sr.
President and CEO
President and CEO
Priority One Credit Union, South Pasadena, CA
Thomas E. Smith
President and CEO
President and CEO
Topline Federal Credit Union, Maple Grove, MN
Alan Meyer
President and CEO
President and CEO
1st MidAmerica Credit Union, Bethalto, IL
A few more of the ways our clients experience the Samaha Difference:
"The Samaha team was incredible throughout the entire acquisition process. They brought us a detailed project management plan based on their previous work, and we knew at that moment that we were in good hands. They felt like an integral part of our team. Their knowledge, diligence, and communication skills were instrumental in making our conversion a success. We are looking forward to working with Samaha and Associates again on future projects. We thank them for their hard work, their support, and their dedication."
– BRIAN WALDRON, PRESIDENT & CEO
"The Samaha approach was a true match to our culture at US Community Credit Union. They were very transparent with their approach to the process. They participated in board meetings, strategic planning sessions, and met with most of our credit union employees. Their approach to the conversion was very holistic and included everybody. Our investment with Samaha was extremely worthwhile. I can confidently recommend Samaha & Associates to any credit union that is looking at any type of conversion or technology upgrade."
– BEN JOHNSON, PRESIDENT & CEO
"We looked at several different consultants to help us with our core project and decided on Samaha and Associates, and we couldn't have made a better decision. They helped us vet the three finalists and also the contracts, adding tremendous value in saving us money as well. They assisted all the departments through the whole core conversion. They've also helped us with other contracts. They helped us with our visa contract also saving us a great deal of money. Samaha & Associates proved invaluable to us. They did a tremendous job for iTHINK Financial."
– MIKE MILLER, PRESIDENT & CEO
“We have worked closely with Samaha & Associates across several projects since 2018. They achieved substantial monetary savings through contract negotiations and recommended vital terms and conditions we had not considered for Core Processing and Digital Banking. Most recently, in 2022-23, they spearheaded the search, selection, negotiation, and implementation for our new Credit and Debit payments processor. The Samaha process was comprehensive. Samaha & Associates consultants provided key insights throughout the projects and advocated for our credit union with vigor. Both our management team and departmental staff appreciated their professional and collaborative approach across our fundamental technology projects.”
– DARLENE LOCKHART, PRESIDENT & CEO
“America's Christian Credit Union couldn’t be more pleased with the effort and contribution Samaha & Associates made to the success of our core conversion project. If your Credit Union is contemplating a core conversion or difficult contract negotiations, please contact Adam or Sabeh. You’ll be glad you did.”
– JOHN MAY, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
“We found their benefits to go beyond the considerable financial negotiations savings. They know the industry and products to bring a wealth of knowledge during the vendor selection process. They are able to lean on high level vendor contacts to get more resources assigned to critical issues. With their strong implementation experience, they are able to facilitate every phase of the implementation process. This has helped to eliminate unforeseen issues and create an overall smoother implementation. We continue to utilize their services because their ability to assist in every phase of a project, from RFP to implementation, has been extremely valuable.”
– GREG BOWMAN, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
“Samaha & Associates are high-tech, no-nonsense professionals. They know how to develop, manage, and execute a plan better than any company I have ever worked with. I would recommend them highly to any Credit Union that needs assistance with implementing new or existing technology.”
– JOSE LARA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
“The Samaha professionals provided excellent guidance during the RFP, selection, and conversion phases as we very successfully converted to our new Digital Channels platform. Their relentless negotiation added tremendous value by initially saving us more than $3 million over the life of our contracts. We were so impressed with their ability to negotiate we expanded their role to include other major vendors. They are continuing to help us with our Core and Loan Origination Conversions and their involvement in all aspects of the projects is a tremendous step toward a smooth implementation.”
– MICK OLSON, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
"Samaha & Associates guided us through a core and online banking conversion within a span of two years. Their team was with us every step of the way, from initial RFP brainstorming to post-conversion follow ups. The Samaha team is knowledgeable, patient, and extremely effective at its enterprise. The team communicates clearly in meetings, presentations, and training sessions. Its consultants go above and beyond to make sure the CU team is informed and prepared for vendor conversations and troubleshooting during all steps of the conversion process. On multiple occasions, including contract negotiations and implementations, the Samaha team went to bat aggressively on our behalf to make sure our CU was in the best possible position in the future reflecting its long-term and outward outlook for the benefit of our members. From my perspective, I attest that the Samaha leadership team understands the fundamental principle that a company is only as good as its people. Its consultants are empowered, passionate and driven to develop a culture of trust, mutual respect, and achievement. I wholeheartedly recommend Samaha & Associates."
– RAY MESLER PRESIDENT & CEO
“After researching several consultants, we made the decision to partner with Samaha & Associates to assist us in negotiating a new agreement for card processing services. The collective 'Credit Union industry' experience of their team members proved to be essential and impressive when negotiating quality savings from our vendor partner. Our project also resulted in capturing increased internal knowledge for our team members managing the card processing services. We were very pleased with their thorough approach, execution, and overall professionalism. I would highly recommend the Samaha team to any Credit Union in the industry needing to perform a vendor selection process to identify best in class vendor partners and negotiate vendor partner agreements.”
– TODD KENTHACK, PRESIDENT & CEO
"I compare the Samaha consultant’s role to that of a sports agent. Negotiations can be tricky, and I felt that if Scient FCU were negotiating directly with our core provider, having those difficult discussions throughout the process, it would be detrimental to our long-term core processor relationship. When the Samaha team sat at the negotiation table, they were acting as our unbiased advocates. Leveraging their broad and comprehensive knowledge of the system conversion process, they were both objective and vested in a positive outcome. This negotiation prowess and diplomatic finesse made the Samaha team indispensable in securing our vendor contracts. It’s without reservation that I would recommend Samaha & Associates for your next conversion project."
– CHRIS MAYNARD, PRESIDENT & CEO
“We couldn’t have had a better partner than Samaha & Associates in our journey to new core. Their high level of engagement from inception to culmination of this project transformed it from a seemingly arduous to a manageable undertaking. The depth of their knowledge and insight removed the obscurity in core selection, and through their foresight, experience and excellent project management numerous obstacles were overcome, leading to a successful core conversion and implementation of ancillary products and services.”
– BHAVNESH MAKIN, PRESIDENT & CEO
“We selected Samaha & Associates as a strategic partner to assist in the implementation of key initiatives in 2015-2016. The level of professionalism, combined experience, and industry leading talent allowed us to confidently make this decision. The Samaha team continues to bring value in the areas of project management, contract negotiation, and system implementations. They are invested in the success of each engagement and have become a key resource for our project management team.”
