No one likes going to the bank.
We understand why.
BOC Bank was built to eliminate the stress of traditional branch banking, including hidden fees, long wait times, and overly complicated products. By using technology and operating with lower overhead, we deliver simpler banking, lower fees, and better value.
With BOC Bank, you can manage your finances from anywhere. Open accounts, apply for consumer, commercial, mortgage, or agricultural loans, deposit checks, send money, upload documents, and sign electronically — all from your phone or computer.
While our approach is modern, our roots are deep. CEO Alex O'Brien's family banking history dates back to the 1900s in Amarillo, Texas. By combining generations of experience with today's technology, BOC Bank offers a smarter, simpler way to bank.
Alex O'Brien grew up in Amarillo, Texas, where he attended Tascosa High School before earning a scholarship to play tennis at Texas Tech University. After college, he played professional tennis on the ATP World Tour for 13 years, reaching a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in doubles and winning 36 ATP doubles titles, including the 2003 US Open.
After tennis, O'Brien joined BOC Bank as a board member and original owner in 2000. His passion for banking was rooted in family history spanning four generations in the Texas Panhandle. To prepare for a banking career, he attended the UCLA Management and Development for Entrepreneurs program as well as Texas Tech Rawls School of Banking and Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.
Today, O'Brien leads BOC Bank's mission to deliver transparent, technology-driven banking that puts customers first — with better rates, lower fees, and a modern platform built from the ground up.
The History of BOC Bank
Bank of Commerce, now BOC Bank, was purchased in 2000 by the W.H. O'Brien group with the idea of leveraging the power of the internet to bring lower loan rates and higher deposit rates to the customer. The family's banking roots, however, go back much further.
Texas farmer and cattleman Will O'Brien, grandfather of William H. O'Brien, grew up in Hollis, Oklahoma. He married, bought a wagon, and moved to a small homestead near Dimmitt, Texas. Four years and two children later, Will bought a ranch northwest of Hereford, where six more children were born.
During prosperous years, Will purchased The National Bank of Commerce, as well as ranch land, oil property, and cattle — connecting two Panhandle banking legacies.
Howard Paul, maternal grandfather of William H. O'Brien, opened the Paul Bank in Slaton, Texas, following his father's charter of the first bank in the Texas Panhandle. Howard and his father helped found the Guaranty State Bank in Amarillo in 1916.
By 1928, Howard bought out other partners in the Guaranty State Bank, gaining a controlling interest and becoming bank president — further cementing the family's deep roots in Texas Panhandle banking.
In 1920, The National Bank of Commerce merged with City National Bank and Will O'Brien was elected chairman, then later president. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, the National Bank of Commerce, like many other banks, fell on hard times. By 1931, the bank experienced a run and went broke.
Will took out a personal loan to pay the depositors. The Amarillo Daily News wrote: "The passing of the National Bank of Commerce is something to be regretted, but there is something mighty fine and splendid about the way it was done."
W.H. O'Brien purchased the Bank of Commerce in 2000 with the idea of developing a core software system to use technology for real-time transactional processing. The bank immediately programmed its own core operating system, providing real-time transactional postings and a new level of transparency and efficiency.
This provided the foundation for customers to utilize digital payment and receipt systems, as well as "smart contracts" to govern commercial transactions — the hallmark of the bank today.
Alex O'Brien stepped into the role of President and CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, BOC Bank has expanded its digital capabilities significantly — offering no monthly charge deposit accounts, proprietary Pay a Friend money transfer, mobile check deposit, and a commercial loan application center with proprietary document upload and eSign software.
O'Brien recognized the importance of real-time systems and core software that could offer transparent banking with lower overhead. BOC Banking has moved from legacy brick-and-mortar to online access from any device. Digital commerce in banking translates into better rates for customers — and that vision continues to define BOC Bank for the future.
Banking Built on Four Generations of Trust
From the Texas Panhandle to the digital age — BOC Bank combines a century of banking heritage with modern technology to deliver a smarter, simpler banking experience.