\u200bHOUSTON – June 16, 2026 – Wellby Financial today announced it has been named the winner of the Best Use of AI – Customer Focus category at the 2026 Banking Tech Awards USA, held by FinTech Futures. The credit union was recognized for its successful AI-powered member personalization strategy developed in partnership with Vertice AI, a leading provider of AI growth solutions for financial institutions.
The Banking Tech Awards USA celebrate the most innovative financial institutions and technology providers. The program recognizes organizations of all sizes, from credit unions and community banks to regional and national financial institutions, for delivering impactful digital banking experiences and advancing the future of financial services. Wellby Financial earned recognition for its implementation of artificial intelligence to analyze member data and build personalized engagement strategies that bolster growth, deepen relationships, and improve member outcomes
“AI is most powerful when it helps us serve members in more meaningful ways,” said Marty Pell, president and CEO of Wellby Financial. “This recognition reflects our commitment to helping our members prosper through personalized experiences. By leveraging AI-driven insights, we can better understand member needs, share tailored messaging that resonates, and connect them with the right products and services at the right time.”
Using Vertice AI's platform, Wellby Financial delivers more relevant interactions that increase member participation, improve retention, deepen wallet share, and deliver greater value throughout the member lifecycle. The strategy generated substantial growth, influencing the opening of 4,150 loan products and contributing roughly $114 million in new loan balances. AI-informed outreach also led to 2,073 new deposit accounts and nearly $25 million in deposit balances while driving thousands of additional service enrollments, demonstrating the power of personalized, AI-driven engagement to create value for both members and the credit union.
"Wellby Financial's success demonstrates how leading financial institutions are using AI to move beyond broad-based marketing to deliver timely, personalized experiences that drive real results," said Mitch Rutledge, CEO of Vertice AI. "We are proud to support its efforts leveraging AI to modernize engagement strategies in ways that deepen relationships, improve retention, and accelerate long-term growth."
The award was presented during the 2026 Banking Tech Awards USA ceremony in New York City.
\nWellby Financial is an award-winning, nationally ranked, member-owned credit union proudly serving Greater Houston. Wellby was originally established in 1961 to serve the employees and families of NASA Johnson Space Center. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest credit unions in Houston, serving more than 127,000 members with 22 branches and more than $2.7 billion in assets. Wellby is ranked one of America's Best Credit Unions by Newsweek and the Best Overall Among Banks and Credit Unions in Texas by Money.com. Additionally, Wellby is a USA TODAY and Houston Chronicle Top Workplace and received a Culture Excellence Award for Employee Appreciation. Membership is open to those who live or work in the City of Houston or any city within Galveston County, are an immediate family member of an existing Wellby Financial member, work for a company or organization that partners with Wellby Financial, or join the American Consumer Council (ACC), a non-profit dedicated to consumer education and financial literacy. For more information, visit wellbyfinancial.com. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Equal Opportunity Employer.
Vertice AI is a leading provider of AI-powered member growth solutions leveraging predictive analytics to help credit unions employ data to drive smarter business decisions. By harnessing artificial intelligence and member data, Vertice AI delivers actionable, member-centric insights that enable credit unions to optimize marketing investments, foster deeper relationships, and achieve measurable growth. Vertice AI has been recognized as a Finovate Fall Best in Show 2025, ICBA ThinkTech Bankers Choice Award Winner, \u200b Top 25 Startup to Watch by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, honored as a Finalist at VentureTech 2023, and named the 2023 Innovation Challenge Winner by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
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