OCC Appoints Mark L. O'Dell to Head Core Policy Unit

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced the appointment of Mark L. O'Dell as Deputy Comptroller for Core Policy. He will report to Wayne Rushton, the OCC's Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy.

"Mark's technical, communications and leadership skills have earned him universal praise within the agency and throughout the regulatory and banking communities," said Mr. Rushton. " He'll be a major contributor to the development of the OCC's core bank supervision policy."

Mr. O'Dell will be responsible for establishing the overall direction and objectives for bank supervision policy and for identifying and developing policy to address emerging issues affecting bank capital, accounting, management and operations.

Since February 1998, Mr. O'Dell has been Director of the OCC's Year 2000 Supervision Policy division. Vernon Stafford will continue as acting Deputy Comptroller for Core Policy through the remainder of this year as Mr. O'Dell winds down his current duties and moves into his new role.

Mr. O'Dell joined the OCC in 1978, and held a variety of bank examination positions until 1996, when he was appointed Director of Analysis in the OCC's Multinational Banking division. He became Director of Banking Technology in May 1997, and held the position until he was tapped to lead the OCC's Year 2000 team.

Mr. O'Dell received a B.S. in mathematics and an M.B.A. from Colorado State University. He has also earned certification as a chartered financial analyst.