Assistant Vice President, Lending Innovation

Ryan French leads Lending Innovation at Navy Federal Credit Union, where he provides strategic leadership for initiatives that improve member service, strengthen operational efficiency, and advance business performance. In this role, he leads Lending’s AI transformation program, driving the adoption of practical and responsible AI capabilities to modernize work, enhance decision-making, and deliver measurable value. Previously, Ryan led Credit Card Business Optimization & Partnerships, overseeing network strategy, analytics, process improvement, and key partner relationships. His contributions included major contract negotiations with TSYS and Visa, competitive RFPs for strategic platforms, interchange revenue enhancements, and credit card policy settings modernization. Before joining Navy Federal, Ryan consulted on naval strategy and political-military affairs at the Center for Naval Analyses, Naval War College, and Naval Postgraduate School. His work has appeared in Strategic Studies Quarterly, War on the Rocks, and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Ryan holds an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, an MA in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an AB in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.