ORNL FCU Selects Kobalt Labs to Modernize Risk and Compliance Operations

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Kobalt Labs, the AI-native risk and compliance platform for financial institutions, today announced that ORNL Federal Credit Union has selected Kobalt to modernize its vendor management program. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, ORNL FCU manages nearly $5 billion in assets, serves approximately 230,000 members across 31 branches, and is one of the largest credit unions in the Southeast.

The partnership will replace ORNL FCU’s existing vendor management processes and introduce automated workflows across its third-party risk program, including information security reviews and contract management. Prior to Kobalt, these processes were largely manual and fragmented, with documentation spread across multiple systems and significant time spent routing reviews among subject matter experts. ORNL FCU evaluated multiple solutions in the market and tested Kobalt using its own documentation and existing review outputs before selecting the platform.

“Kobalt Labs aligns closely with our AI strategy and our belief that technology should empower our employees to do their best work,” said Jenny Vipperman, President and CEO of ORNL Federal Credit Union. “We’re focused on using AI to reduce manual, repetitive tasks, not the human connection that defines how we serve our members. By creating more capacity for our employees to focus on meaningful, high-value work, we can strengthen both the employee and member experience. Kobalt Labs understands that vision and the workflows behind it, making them a strong partner as we move forward.”

ORNL FCU’s selection of Kobalt reflects a broader shift among credit unions toward rethinking how risk and compliance work gets done. As regulatory expectations for third-party oversight continue to increase, institutions managing hundreds of vendor relationships are finding that manual processes can no longer keep pace with the required volume and rigor. ORNL FCU joins a growing roster of credit unions, including InTouch Credit Union and Meriwest Credit Union, that have chosen Kobalt to bring greater consistency, speed, and defensibility to their risk and compliance operations.

“ORNL FCU sets a high bar for the technology they adopt,” said Kalyani Ramadurgam, CEO of Kobalt Labs. “We are excited to partner with them and bring best-in-class technology to one of the most forward-thinking credit unions in the country.”

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About ORNL Federal Credit Union
ORNL Federal Credit Union is a member owned, not for profit financial institution headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Founded in 1948, ORNL FCU serves approximately 230,000 members across 31 branches across East Tennessee, offering personal and business banking, lending, and investment services. Learn more at ornlfcu.com.

About Kobalt Labs
Kobalt Labs is the AI-native TPRM and compliance platform built for financial institutions. Kobalt eliminates the manual steps from third-party reviews of vendors and fintech partners by extracting critical evidence, identifying control gaps, and generating defensible risk analyses within minutes. Always synchronized with evolving federal and state regulations, Kobalt helps financial institutions improve consistency, accelerate review cycles, and strengthen risk management across ERM, compliance, information security, and third-party oversight. Learn more at kobaltlabs.com.

Ashi Agrawal
Kobalt Labs
ashi@kobaltlabs.com

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