WASHINGTON — As Donald Trump assembles his administration, he’s so far picked two people with a connection to Wisconsin for top jobs.
He nominated former Congressman Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary and now Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano to head the social security administration. Fiserv is a payment and financial services provider based in Milwaukee.
“All I know about him is positive,” said Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah. “You know, it’s a good nomination. It’s a feather in the cap of the state of Wisconsin.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bisignano was the highest paid CEO among Wisconsin’s biggest companies last year, receiving nearly $28 million dollars.
Before assuming his role as CEO at Fiserv in 2020, Bisignano headed First Data, a payment services provider in the e-commerce industry. He oversaw the First Data’s IPO in 2015 and merger with Fiserv four years later. Bisignano has also worked for J.P. Morgan, Chase and Citigroup.
Bisignano will need to be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Social Security Administration, which distributes retirement and disability benefits to people who paid into the system as employees.
“I want it to be fully funded, and I want it to be fully functional, and I want to completely eradicate any waste, fraud and abuse, because every dollar that’s fraudulently spent is one dollar that cannot go to help a senior or someone who is vulnerable,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
In a post online, Trump said Bisignano “has a long career leading financial services institutions through great transformation,” and “will be responsible to deliver on the Agency’s commitment to the American People for generations to come.”
Per Open Secrets, a site that tracks campaign donations, Bisignano donated $125,000 to the Republican National Committee and Donald Trump in 2019. In the years following, he donated $15,000 to Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s PAC and $50,000 to Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, both of whom sought the Republican nomination for President against Trump.
Bisignano has also donated to Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both of New York.
In a statement online, Bisignano said if he’s confirmed, he would draw from his background in trying to transform the social security system. He’ll remain CEO of Fiserv until his confirmation.