OCC Announces Chief Climate Risk Officer

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced the appointment of Dr. Yue (Nina) Chen as Chief Climate Risk Officer.

Dr. Chen will lead the agency’s climate risk efforts related to supervision, policy, and external engagement. She will oversee the activities of the OCC’s Office of Climate Risk and report directly to the Acting Comptroller of the Currency. Under Dr. Chen’s leadership, the OCC will continue to focus on the development and implementation of climate risk management frameworks for the federal banking system.

"I am excited to welcome Dr. Chen to the OCC," said Acting Comptroller Michael J. Hsu. "We are fortunate to have someone with her background and experience in both finance and climate-related financial risk to lead the agency’s risk management work in this area. She is an asset to an already strong and dedicated team of OCC staff focused on the safety and soundness of our banks and the financial system."

Dr. Chen previously served as the inaugural Executive Deputy Superintendent of the Climate Division at the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and was responsible for integrating climate-related financial risks into supervision of regulated entities. She also served as the Vice-Chair of the Climate Risk Steering Group at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.

Before joining DFS, Dr. Chen served as the Director of Conservation Investments at the Nature Conservancy. She has also held positions in asset management at Goldman Sachs and as Vice President at Royal Bank of Canada Global Arbitrage and Trading.

Dr. Chen earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also holds a certificate in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability from Columbia University.

Dr. Chen follows Jonathan Fink in this role, who assumed these duties in an acting capacity in March 2022 while also serving as senior advisor to the Acting Comptroller.