Santander Holdings USA Inc. and Sovereign Bank N.A. has announced the appointment of Jesse O. Villarreal Jr. as executive vice president, government affairs, and public policy director.
Villarreal will lead Santander's government relations and industry public policy efforts in the U.S. He will be located at Santander's U.S. headquarters in Boston and will report to Chief of Staff Carlos Garcia.
"I am pleased to welcome Jesse to Sovereign-Santander," Jorge Moran, Santander U.S. country head and Sovereign Bank president and CEO, said in a statement. "Jesse's extensive experience in the public sector working on banking and financial issues is a great addition to shaping the bank's public policy positions and regulatory framework to continue the successful implementation of our growth plan."
Prior to joining Santander, Villarreal served more than 10 years in various capacities in the United States federal government, including positions at the Department of the Treasury, the White House and at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Most recently, he served as senior advisor to Acting FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg. Villarreal was involved in all areas of agency policy and operations.
Villarreal has also held leadership positions in the financial services industry at JPMorgan Chase and Texas Commerce Bank/Chase Manhattan. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and has been listed on the HispanicBusiness 100 Influentials index.
Santander Holdings USA Inc. and Sovereign Bank N.A. are wholly owned subsidiaries of Banco Santander.
