Johnbull Okpara will join Bank of America in December, replacing Rudolf Bless, its chief accounting officer of nearly 10 years. The bank did not give a reason for Bless’ departure.

The regulator also approved a policy update to consider small business and residential loan originations, in addition to deposits, when evaluating a merger’s competitive effects.

Donald Felix, a 25-year banking veteran, will succeed Craig MacKay, who became interim CEO of the Black-owned bank last year when the company weathered a “hostile takeover” attempt from an investor.

In the balance of build-vs.-buy, the bank was creating too much from scratch, and to build its own retail wealth pathway would have been a “bridge too far,” BNY CFO Dermot McDonogh said last week.