New consumer financial chief Richard Cordray has been calling the heads of some of the top U.S. banks in an effort to build support for his agency, which is viewed skeptically by the financial industry.

In a controversial decision, President Barack Obama installed Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on January 4 to get around Senate Republicans’ efforts to block his nomination.

Since that time, an agency spokeswoman said Cordray has reached out to about 100 people at banks, trade associations and consumer groups to make introductions and get feedback.