He had been Chief of Staff and Public Affairs at the office since October 2005 and became interim Comptroller on August 15, 2010, following John Dugan.

He has also been an International Program Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget, has worked with the Mutual Broadcasting System, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Ghana.

[6] The following day, three senators – Jack Reed (D-RI), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) – called for a "fundamental rethink of the OCC's leadership" arguing that Walsh "is not interested in leading an agency charged with ensuring the safety and soundness of our financial institutions".

[7] The OCC released a statement on June 23 suggesting the senators took Walsh's speech out of context and defended the Comptroller.

[8] On September 8, 2011 a Senate panel approved the nomination of Thomas Curry, then serving as a director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as Comptroller of the Currency.