Many major bank CEOs leave product development to their sprawling IT and innovation departments. Christiana Riley, president and CEO of Santander US, however, has taken matters into her own hands.
The former literature and Romance languages major, who calls herself an "
"You used to put things into the technology development funnel, and they would call you 12 months later — the actual technology production is now right there," Riley said. Building the tool herself means she is maintaining the "same level of curiosity and transformation that I am hopeful our entire organization is focused on," she added.
Riley joined Santander three years ago after nearly two decades at Deutsche Bank. Her challenge since has been transforming a collection of largely independent businesses into an integrated, higher-growth franchise.
Santander U.S. reported that it generated $1.7 billion in net income in 2025, up 45% from a year earlier, while increasing return on tangible equity to 10%. Deposits grew to $103 billion, loans reached $128 billion and growth was recorded across retail banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, auto finance, and wealth management, Santander said.
Her biggest near-term task is integrating Stamford, Connecticut-based Webster, a Northeast regional bank with roughly $86 billion in assets. The deal, which, as of August 2026, was pending regulatory approval by the Federal Reserve, marks the first time in years that a European bank has sought to acquire a U.S. bank.
The move was characterized by
Riley is also deepening Santander's physical and digital reach. In Miami, the bank broke ground on a new tower on Brickell Avenue, reflecting the city's role at the crossroads of the U.S. and Latin America. Openbank, its digital arm, has gathered over $10 billion in deposits to date, including through a partnership letting Verizon customers earn bill credits by opening high-yield savings accounts.
With the challenge of a possible Webster integration, Riley isn't chasing another acquisition any time soon. Her focus, she said, is a "seamless" integration for staff and customers and delivering on the numbers she's already promised investors.
In her spare time she has been learning padel – a sport that's a blend of tennis and squash – from some of her Latin American colleagues, while also raising two teenagers.
