Capital Briefs: Group Issues Wish List for Next Comptroller

A group of national bankers on Thursday told Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin what they want in a new Comptroller of the Currency.

"The next comptroller needs to understand the competitive pressures facing national banks," reads a letter from the Support Group for Modern National Banking, an organization of 27 national banks. The nominee must be "willing to be innovative."

Eugene A. Ludwig will step down in early April after five years as comptroller. The Support Group praised Mr. Ludwig's tenure as the "model of a modern comptroller whose efforts on behalf of national banks have served to strengthen the U.S. financial system overall."

The Support Group was formed a year ago to protect and expand the national bank charter. Mainly an educational group, it leaves lobbying to the industry's trade associations. Members include Citicorp, Huntington Bancshares, and Union Planters Corp.

The group's first big event is set for March 4, a daylong conference titled, "The Future of National Banking: Facing New Threats and Seizing New Opportunities." Leslie M. Baker Jr., president and chief executive officer of Wachovia Corp., is the scheduled luncheon speaker.

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