On October 26, 2016, the OCC announced it will establish an office dedicated to responsible innovation and implement a formal framework to improve the agency's ability to identify, understand and respond to financial innovation affecting the federal banking system.
The Office of Innovation will be headed by a Chief Innovation Officer assigned to OCC Headquarters with a small staff located in Washington, New York and San Francisco. The office will be the central point of contact and clearinghouse for requests and information related to innovation. It will also implement other aspects of the OCC's framework for responsible innovation, which include: (i) establishing an outreach and technical assistance program for banks and nonbanks; (ii) conducting awareness and training activities for OCC staff; (iii) encouraging coordination and facilitation; (iv) establishing an innovation research function; and (v) promoting interagency collaboration.
The OCC expects the office to begin operations in first quarter 2017. To support implementation of the framework, the agency has named Beth Knickerbocker acting Chief Innovation Officer.
The OCC's Recommendations and Decisions for Implementing a Responsible Innovation Framework is available at:
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.