Leadership Highlight: Amber Crisp

by Spero Financial

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Meet Amber! Amber Crisp is the Vice President of Remote Member Service at Spero Financial. We took a moment to learn more about her journey and wanted to capture that conversation here so you can learn more about her, too! A small-town girl and life-long resident of Anderson, Amber found her career inspiration at a country store, keep reading to find out how! 

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?  

At age five, Amber found inspiration for her career at a little small-town store, called “Redi Mart”. At this store, Amber remembers a sweet cashier who was always smiling, helping people, counting cash and even pushing buttons at the register. As a small child, the cashier’s great service inspired Amber to want to do the same! Amber said that the cashier’s sunny disposition and the way she made others feel made everyone look forward to going into the store. The cashier inspired Amber so much that when anyone asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she responded, “I want to work at Redi Mart!” She laughed and explained that even though it sounds simple and childlike, these interactions are some of the foundational reasons why she is on her current path today!

When she was beginning her career, Amber joined the financial services industry as a teller. Here, she was quickly given the opportunity to open accounts and serve customers in a deeper way. In this role, Amber truly began to enjoy serving others and helping them achieve their financial goals! The impact she began to have on others’ lives sparked her passion and drive in the financial industry.  

While she started out in community banking, Amber transitioned to a credit union after around 5 years. Here, she joined Anderson Federal Credit Union and she said, “I never looked back!” Amber shared that she quickly bought into the foundational principles of the Credit Union industry and the philosophy of “People Helping People”!

Amber has held many roles over the years including member service, lending, branch network management, leadership, strategic vision planning, and a seat at the table to execute South Carolina’s largest credit union partnership to date! 

Amber now serves as Vice President of Remote Member Service and is responsible for Spero’s network interactive teller machines, branded by Spero as TellerLink—overseeing the TellerLink team, the member solutions center, and Spero’s digital banking branch.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE?  

Amber says that her grandma always used to tell her, “Girl, square your shoulders!” This advice taught her to be courageous, even when times were hard, and to find good in all situations. Most recently this advice has evolved with new meaning with a focus on being strong for others and lifting them up. Squaring her shoulders allows others to stand on her shoulders and have opportunities to benefit from the foundation she has built. This idea shows up in both her personal and professional life with her daughters and team!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT POSITION? WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND COME TO WORK? 

Amber says her favorite thing about what she does is working with her team and the chance to serve members each day, to improve their financial lives! Amber says her team enjoys celebrating wins (big or small) and discovering new ways to serve others.   

Amber also said that one of her favorite things about her current position is the discovery of new technologies to better serve members and finding ways to continually evolve service delivery. After moving from a career in the physical branch network, she has enjoyed gaining a new perspective during her move to remote service delivery channels.  

Amber says there is so much excitement in every area of Remote Member Services and that is what keeps her going! The open opportunity to create, engage, and improve is something she is enjoying in this season.  

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR 25-YEAR-OLD SELF IF YOU KNEW THEN WHAT YOU KNOW NOW?  

In true Amber fashion, without hesitation, she responds, “I am 25. What are you talking about?”

After a brief smile and laugh, she continues “Just kidding – I would say... enjoy the journey! No education, book, or podcast can provide real-life experiences. You have to truly experience it and take each moment as a gift to learn something new. Nothing replaces hard work. Life doesn’t have an easy button, but if you work hard – it gets easier!”

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