Santander has appointed Christiana Riley as the next chief executive of its United States banking operation.
The appointment was announced by Executive Chair Ana Botín via LinkedIn on 31 January 2025. Riley will succeed Tim Wennes, who has served as the head of Santander's United States banking operations and who, according to Botín, decided it was the right time to pursue other opportunities.
GROUP RESTRUCTURING
Riley's appointment is part of a group-wide restructuring that will eliminate Santander's regional divisions for Europe, North America and South America, a source told Reuters. Santander said it would instead run the group through its global businesses (retail, consumer, corporate and investment banking, wealth, and payments), with the chief executives of its core markets reporting to group CEO Héctor Grisi.
Santander's US franchise encompasses a sizeable consumer auto finance business alongside a regional retail and commercial bank with a significant branch presence primarily across the northeastern United States.
SUCCESSION
Botín said Wennes had done "an outstanding job in transforming Santander US".
Christiana Riley, Santander's regional head of North America since 2023, previously spent 17 years at Deutsche Bank, including as CEO of the Americas.
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