WASHINGTON — One of the top officials who served at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. during Sheila Bair's term as chairman has joined Banco Santander as the head of its U.S. government relations team.
Jesse O. Villarreal Jr. was Bair's chief of staff at the FDIC for nearly five years. He joined the agency in October 2006, not long after Bair started. Villarreal stayed on following Bair's departure in July 2011 to serve as a senior advisor to now-acting FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg.
Villarreal's new job is as executive vice president and public policy director for Santander Holdings USA Inc. and the $48 billion-asset Sovereign Bank in Delaware, which is owned by the Spanish company. He will be based at the headquarters for Santander's U.S. operations in Boston.
"Earlier this year we converted from a thrift to a national bank, setting the stage for our future growth. This important milestone, in combination with our continuous enhancement of our leadership team is moving us forward as an organization. I am pleased to welcome Jesse to Sovereign-Santander," Jorge Moran, Santander US Country Head and Sovereign Bank's chief executive, said in an April 23 press release. "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."
Previously, Villarreal held positions at the Treasury Department and JPMorgan Chase & Co. He also worked at the White House in President George W. Bush's administration, serving as associate director for the Office of Cabinet Affairs in the Executive Office of the President.
