Anchorage Digital Bank named Julie Williams to its board on Feb. 28, 20231. Williams had served twice as acting Comptroller of the Currency. Her first term ran from April to December 1998, and her second from October 2004 to August 2005. American Banker reported the seat marks her first board role at a privately held company2. “Selecting Anchorage Digital Bank as my first non-public company board had everything to do with helping to steer the first OCC-chartered crypto bank in a positive direction forward,” Williams said.
Five leadership moves at Anchorage Digital on the record since 2022
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 19, 2022 | Anderika became Chief Risk Officer. Rachel Anderika was named Chief Risk Officer, Anchorage Digital Bank of Anchorage Digital |
| Feb. 28, 2023 | Williams joined the board. Julie L. Williams joined the board of Anchorage Digital |
| March 13, 2024 | Le became General Counsel. TuongVy Le was named General Counsel of Anchorage Digital |
| April 22, 2024 | Schnarch became COO. Aaron Schnarch was named Chief Operating Officer of Anchorage Digital |
| June 13, 2024 | Shoemaker joined the board. Connie Shoemaker joined the board of Anchorage Digital |
Four board appointments on the record in 2023
Board appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2023: 4
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 29 |
The move
Williams stood second in line to head the OCC for years as its chief counsel. Her two stints as acting comptroller made her the only woman to have run the agency, Anchorage's announcement said1. “I'm excited to join the Anchorage Digital Bank board to provide support around its regulatory compliance and strategies as its business continues to evolve,” she said in the same post. Nathan McCauley runs Anchorage Digital Bank as chief executive. He told American Banker that her reputation carried weight beyond her titles. “Julie is someone a lot of the industry has looked up to for a long time,” McCauley said. “In her time there, she was very well respected in terms of her legal opinion and understanding of what does and does not belong in the regulatory perimeter”2.
Anchorage's board before and after
Williams joined two sitting independent directors, Anchorage's post said1. Sarah Elliott is a former OCC attorney who now holds chief compliance roles. Walter J. Mix III is a former commissioner of California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. American Banker tied the addition to a compliance push already underway. The OCC had told Anchorage in 2021 to improve its anti-money-laundering controls. An April 2022 consent order found gaps in the bank's compliance program2. McCauley said 30 engineers were building out the bank's compliance systems by the time Williams joined, calling the work "a rock-solid system". Todd Baker teaches at Columbia University's Richman Center and runs Broadmoor Consulting. He gave American Banker a specific read on the hire. "Julie is a very careful lawyer and quite conservative," Baker said. “When she ran the OCC she did a good, careful job. She's open to new things, but she's very by the book in terms of risk management and compliance”.
What came next
Anchorage Digital Bank kept Williams on its board as of June 13, 2024, when Institutional Investor named her alongside fellow OCC veteran Sarah Elliott while reporting on a new appointee, Bridgewater Associates Holdings chief operating officer Connie Shoemaker3. The outlet described Williams the same way Anchorage had in 2023, as a veteran of the OCC who twice served as acting comptroller.
Sources
- Anchorage Digital, "Williams Joins Anchorage Digital Bank Board," Anchorage Digital Insights, Feb. 28, 2023, https://www.anchorage.com/insights/history-making-occ-veteran-julie-l-williams-joins-anchorage-digital-bank
- Penny Crosman, "Former regulator Julie Williams to join Anchorage Digital Bank's board," American Banker, March 9, 2023, https://www.americanbanker.com/news/former-regulator-julie-williams-to-join-anchorage-digital-banks-board
- Michael Thrasher, "Bridgewater Holdings Exec Joins Anchorage Digital Bank Board Ahead of Growth Spurt," Institutional Investor, June 13, 2024, https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2dcxp826fy6qqylco4s8w/corner-office/bridgewater-coo-joins-anchorage-digital-board-ahead-of-growth-spurt