VACU Data Scientist Wins National Competition

Richard Hayden, a data scientist with Virginia Credit Union, took first place in a national data analytics competition for credit union professionals.

Hayden competed in the “Big Data Analytics Challenge” at the CULytics conference earlier this month at the Microsoft Corporation campus in Redmond, WA.

Along with nine other finalists, Hayden gave a presentation on the way Virginia Credit Union uses predictive modeling to enable frontline employees to be more effective when interacting with members. Hayden started his career at Virginia Credit Union by working in member services, so he developed the model by working with those employees and seeking their input on how it should work.

The tool he developed helped the credit union increase deposits, loans to members, and enabled employees to engage members more effectively in person and over the phone.

The 350 attendees at the conference voted on the best presentation and Hayden’s was selected as the best. He left the conference with a trophy and a $500 gift card.

A financial cooperative serving more than 280,000 members, Virginia Credit Union offers a variety of affordable banking services, loans, mortgages, and free financial education resources, with a focus on helping people be more confident with their finances. Virginia Credit Union is an equal housing opportunity lender and is federally insured by NCUA.