A GSBC Special Interest Group Project
Created by Rochelle Garcia, Grace Horn, Ashley Huisman, Robert Krause, Denise Martinez, Andrew McCormick, Cale Mello, Kimberly Senni, Jacob Stewart and Daniel Walter
How do regulators prepare examiners for a banking environment that is evolving faster than ever before?
That question became the focus of a collaborative GSBC Special Interest Group project developed by students representing regulatory agencies across the country.
Rather than completing Strategic Topic projects individually, this group formed around a shared interest in examiner development, emerging risks and the future of banking supervision. Together, they explored how regulatory agencies can continue adapting training and development models to keep pace with increasingly complex industry challenges.
Representing agencies including the FDIC, Federal Reserve and state regulatory bodies, the group brought together a wide range of regulatory perspectives and experiences to examine one central question: what should examiner preparedness look like in the future?
More Than Traditional Examiner Training
Banking supervision continues evolving alongside rapid changes in technology, cybersecurity, financial innovation and operational complexity.
The group recognized that the role of the examiner is also changing.
Today’s examiners are expected to navigate:
- Emerging technologies
- Artificial intelligence
- Cybersecurity threats
- Increasingly specialized banking operations
- Rapidly evolving risk environments
As a result, the project examined whether traditional training approaches are enough to support long-term examiner readiness moving forward.
Key Themes and Findings
Throughout the project, several consistent themes emerged around the future of regulatory development and supervision.
Collaboration Across Agencies Matters
One of the strongest findings centered on the importance of interagency collaboration and knowledge sharing.
While regulatory agencies often share similar goals around examiner preparedness and supervision, approaches to training, specialization and continuing education can vary significantly.
The group identified opportunities for:
- Greater coordination
- Shared learning resources
- Expanded communication
- More consistent training approaches across agencies
The students found that stronger collaboration could improve consistency, responsiveness and examiner readiness industry-wide.
Continuous Learning Is Becoming Essential
Another major theme involved the increasing need for continuous development rather than static or one-time training models.
As banking evolves more quickly, the group emphasized the importance of:
- Ongoing education
- Real-time knowledge sharing
- Dynamic learning platforms
- Adaptability across supervisory functions
The project reinforced the idea that examiner development may need to become more agile and responsive as risks and technologies continue changing.
Emerging Risks Are Reshaping Supervision
The group also explored how emerging risks are influencing the future of regulatory oversight.
Topics discussed throughout the project included:
- Artificial intelligence
- Financial technology
- Cybersecurity
- Operational resilience
- Increasing specialization within banking supervision
The students concluded that examiner development will likely require broader technical understanding and greater adaptability moving forward.
Why This Matters
What makes these Special Interest Group projects valuable is not simply the final research itself. It is the collaboration, perspective-sharing and industry engagement that happen throughout the process.
This project reflects exactly what the Bolder Banking® initiative is intended to encourage:
- Industry collaboration
- Forward-looking thinking
- Practical problem solving
- Leadership development
- Meaningful industry contribution
Rather than studying regulation from the outside, this group explored a real operational challenge directly impacting the future of banking supervision and examiner preparedness.
Most importantly, the project created space for professionals across agencies and markets to contribute ideas designed to strengthen the future of the banking industry.
Looking Ahead
The regulatory training project is part of a growing collection of student-led Special Interest Group publications being shared through the Bolder Banking® initiative.
Future projects will continue exploring important industry conversations through collaborative research, discussion and practical insight designed to strengthen the future of community banking.