About Norma Reilly
Principal Consultant, OnSite CU Solutions
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About Me
I am the Principal Consultant at OnSite CU Solutions, providing independent, operationally grounded support to credit unions, representative bodies and service providers across Ireland.
I bring over two decades of experience across financial services, including senior leadership roles within the credit union sector and earlier experience in retail banking. My work spans mergers, system change, operational transformation, culture and behavioural risk, and supporting organisations through periods of sustained pressure and complexity.
I am known for my ability to work with people at all levels of an organisation and to bring teams with me through change, combining strong delivery focus with a deep understanding of how decisions are experienced on the ground.
Depth and Breadth of Experience
My experience covers the full breadth of credit union operations and governance.
I have worked extensively with Boards and senior management teams on strategy, governance, major change programmes and decision making under pressure. I have also led and supported large scale operational change, including mergers and Transfers of Engagement, core banking and system change, lending and operational transformation, and post merger integration.
Crucially, this experience is not limited to leadership forums. I have worked directly with operational and member facing teams across all areas of the business, supporting day to day delivery, process change and service continuity during periods of transition.
This combination of Board level exposure and frontline operational experience allows me to bridge strategic intent and practical delivery, and to provide credible, real time reflection on how decisions will land across the organisation.
People Centred Leader in Complex Change
A defining feature of my work is my ability to bring people with me through complex and often challenging change.
I understand that mergers, system change and restructuring create uncertainty, pressure and fatigue. I place a strong emphasis on listening carefully, creating space for honest conversation, and helping leaders and teams make sense of what is happening around them.
This people centred approach is grounded in first hand experience of culture and behavioural issues, both positive and negative. I have seen how poor handling of behaviour and communication can undermine trust and delivery, and how thoughtful, fair leadership can transform outcomes for teams and organisations.
Culture, Behaviour and Ethics
I am a Certified Ethics and Culture Advisor (CECA). I initially pursued this qualification to strengthen my ability to support teams through merger and integration scenarios. However, it quickly became clear that the learning had much wider relevance.
It deepened my understanding of how culture, behaviour, decision-making and risk interact, particularly in regulated, member owned organisations under pressure. It also strengthened my ability to identify behavioural risk early and to support Boards and management teams in addressing cultural issues in a constructive, governance-aware way.
This blend of academic insight and lived operational experience underpins my work in culture strategy, cultural alignment and ethical leadership.
Commitment to the Credit Union Sector
My early career was in retail banking, but my values and mindset were always closely aligned with the credit union ethos. When I moved into the credit union sector, it felt like where I had always belonged.
The cooperative model, the emphasis on shared purpose, and the willingness across the sector to share knowledge and support one another resonated strongly with me. Over time, I have also seen how rapidly the sector is changing, and how culture and behaviours can struggle to keep pace with operational, structural and regulatory demands.
My work is driven by a desire to support credit unions to navigate this change without losing what makes them distinctive.
How I Work
My approach is characterised by:
extensive experience across operations, governance and leadership
an ability to work confidently at Board, senior management and team level
calm, independent judgement during periods of pressure
a collaborative, people centred style
a strong focus on delivery and sustainability
Through OnSite CU Solutions, I work to strengthen organisations from within, supporting confidence, alignment and capability so change can be delivered well and sustained.
Next Steps
If you would like to explore how my experience and approach could support your organisation, an initial conversation can help clarify priorities and options.

These conversations are confidential, informal and without obligation.
Contact
Norma Reilly
📞 086 8696853
✉️ norma@onsitecusolutions.ie
🔗 linkedin.com/in/norma-reilly-73252553