Wells names JPMorgan executive to lead technology operations

Wells Fargo has named a JPMorgan Chase executive to lead its technology and cybersecurity operations.

The San Francisco bank appointed Saul Van Beurden to the position of Head of Technology, effective in April. He will report to CEO Tim Sloan.

In the newly created position, which was announced in October, Van Beurden will have oversight of both technology and information security and “will be instrumental in driving the company’s transformation and efforts to become a leader in risk management and innovation,” Wells said in a news release.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

“Saul’s proven track record in technology and risk remediation makes him the ideal choice to lead our technology transformation efforts,” Sloan said in the release.

Wells' chief technology officer, Scott Dillon, and its chief information security officer, Rick Baich, will continue to report to Chief Financial Officer John Shrewsberry. Wells did not provide specifics on what Dillon’s and Baich’s roles will be after Van Beurden joins the bank.

Wells is restructuring some of its technology operations, as the bank said in October that it’s consolidating call centers as its customers rapidly shift to mobile and digital technology to handle various tasks.

Van Beurden is the chief information officer for consumer and community banking at JPMorgan Chase. He has been with JPMorgan since 2014.

Though Van Beurden’s appointment does not appear related to one of the many scandals at Wells, it’s the latest change in the bank’s upper management. In October, Wells placed its chief administrative officer and chief auditor on leave. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had told Wells that it would be pursuing sanctions against the executives.

Last month, a media report said that Wells fired about three dozen district managers for actions related to the fake-accounts scandal that came to light two years ago.